The Hidden Truth
by OCQueen96
Summary: Itachi Uchiha died a man with many secrets. He never told anyone the truth about the destruction of the Uchiha clan or about his true loyalties. However, what people don't know is that Itachi had another secret; a secret that gave the last few years of his life happiness. When Itachi's widow leaves Tsunade a copy of their personal home videos, it doesn't stay a secret for long.
1. Chapter 1: The Unmarked DVD

_**A/N: Okay, just so you know, this is my first ever Naruto story. I'm not sure if it's going to be perfect, but I'm going to try my best either way! :) Itachi has always been a character that has stuck out to me, so this story is going to be based around him. It's not going to be a long story. It will probably be only five to ten chapters in length, but nonetheless, I still really want this story to turn out good. I don't want to give away too many things about the plot, as I want the story to tell itself, but I will give away a few essential key facts:**_

 _ **1) Itachi is already dead when the story begins. The story starts about two weeks after his death.**_

 _ **2)The majority of the story is going to be told through home videos that were recorded by Itachi's wife (my OC), Kisame, and Itachi himself.**_

 _ **3)The home video is going to be viewed by Lady Tsunade and Shizune, Kakashi, and of course by the original twelve Genin (minus Sasuke).**_

 _ **Hopefully that clears some stuff up so there aren't too many questions going into this. Hope you enjoy! :)**_

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. All I own are my OC's._

* * *

 **Chapter One: The Unmarked DVD**

 _I've been looking for a way to bring you back to life,_

 _And if I could find a way, then I would bring you back tonight._

 _I'd make you look, I'd make you lie, I'd take the coldness from your eyes,_

 _But you told me, if you love me, let it die._

 _~Let It Die by Starset_

* * *

Nobody noticed the woman walking the streets of the Hidden Leaf Village that day. The civilians, the ninja, not even the anbu black ops paid her any attention. This is mostly because the woman appeared so completely ordinary that giving her more than a second glance would be considered a waste of time. She had plain coffee brown hair that fell in soft curls all the way down to her lower back, eyes a regular shade of light brown, and a frame that was neither too big nor too small. Nothing at all stuck out about her. The only thing that made her seem out of the ordinary was the size of her stomach.

When first looking at her she simply appeared as though she'd gone too heavy on the sweets and bowls of pasta. If one took the time to observe her more closely, however, it became fairly obvious that she was with child. Of course, even then it wasn't too obvious. She was only about four to five months along, her pregnancy still easy enough to hide with baggy clothing. Sure her young face around the age of twenty or twenty-one definitely caught some people's attention if they noticed her stomach, but this lead to nothing more than a scowl or a surprised expression before they went back to their business. It is because of this that nobody was able to foresee what this young woman would do on this very same night.

"Hurry! We can't let her escape!"

It is well after midnight, the full moon hanging high over Konoha. Besides the few drunkards and gamblers that hang around the occasional tavern, most civilians are asleep inside their homes. In a way the small duo of anbu black ops is thankful for this. Had it been the height of the afternoon when the town is at its busiest the Leaf Village could very well be in full-fledged panic mode at the moment. After all, it isn't every day that a seemingly ordinary person breaks into the Hokage's office almost completely unnoticed. Even rarer is the idea that this person would harm nothing and take nothing. Of course, even if she didn't seem to do anything, the anbu aren't about to let the assailant escape. Not a chance.

The two masked men jump from roof to roof and weave their way through dark alleyways, all in pursuit of a woman wearing a black hooded cloak and holding her stomach protectively. Normally they wouldn't be able to identify the gender of a person wearing such a garment but at some point during the chase her hood came down, revealing her feminine features. Even though they've only been in pursuit of this woman for less than ten minutes this chase has not been an easy one. After using paper bombs, creating tall earth style barriers, and even going as far as attempting genjutsu this woman is somehow still on the run. Somehow she has been able to overcome every obstacle they throw at her, suggesting that she isn't as delicate as she appears.

The three of them are currently jumping from rooftop to rooftop, the female wrapping both arms around her stomach as if protecting it is her life. At this point they're nearing the edge of the village which means they'll also be nearing a large gap in between the trees and the buildings. Even with the masks covering their faces, the two anbu can't help but smile knowingly. They're on the last rooftop at this very moment, leaving the woman very little room left to run. She may be daring, but she wouldn't dare jump off of a rooftop at this point. With no buildings or shadows to hide in, she's practically done for. When they see her stop abruptly at the roof's edge, they both know that they've guessed right.

"Just give up and come with us. It's no use trying to run," says one of the anbu men.

"Come here nice and easy," supports the other. "We promise not to hurt you."

Standing rigidly, the woman turns to face them for the first time since the start of their chase. To their surprise she doesn't appear dangerous, threatening, or anything at all beyond ordinary. Her brown curls are hanging askew from all of the running and her brown eyes hold not a single pleasant emotion. All they can see in her eyes are fear, adrenaline, and desperation. The whole time her arms never once leave her stomach. Of course, with the thickness of her black cloak, they haven't the slightest idea why this is. Their only focus is on how she takes a single step forward, as if ready to turn herself over to them. It is because of this that they never expect what she does next.

Instead of taking another step in their direction she gives them one last intense look of desperation. It is only then that she does it. The woman takes one large step backwards off of the roof, removing her hands from her stomach in order to make hand signs. The men rush over to the roof's edge at this point, terrified that the woman is about to commit suicide.

"No!" one shouts out frantically.

However, the sound of an explosion or a body meeting the rocky pavement never meets their ears. The only thing their senses conceive is a whooshing sound and a flash of bright white light, the young lady disappearing in a single instant. One moment she's there and the next she's gone, leaving the two anbu black ops in complete shock. However, the only thing that surprises them more is a small piece of paper that lies where the woman previously stood. On the paper are a few short sentences written out in flawlessly clean handwriting. Even from a mile away it's very clear that this piece of paper isn't any type of weapon or paper bomb. It is because of this that one of them kneels down and picks it up. Furrowing his brow under the animal mask, he reads the writing aloud:

 _"Forgive me. I cannot stay in the Hidden Leaf Village. What needed to be done is done, so now I must go."_

* * *

Several hours have passed since the dark haired woman's escape. In that time the anbu black ops along with many ninja searched all of Konoha and much of the forest outside the village. Unfortunately not a trace of the woman was found. It is currently around five thirty in the morning, the stars in the sky beginning to fade slightly. Lady Tsunade sits in the very same office that was very recently broken into, her painted finger nails tapping on the wooden surface of her desk. Brown eyes narrowed, she glares at those who stand before her.

"How did this happen?! Why didn't someone inform me that my office was broken into sooner?!"

Several people stand in the Hokage's office at the moment, reaping the havoc of her intense glare. These people would be Shizune, Kakashi Hatake, and several anbu black ops. Unsurprisingly, Shizune is the first to respond to that question.

"We were hoping to take care of the situation ourselves before informing you, Lady Tsunade. It was reported that whoever broke into your office was a young woman without a ninja headband, and that she didn't seem to touch anything. We originally thought that we would be able to detain her."

Leaning back in her chair, Tsunade crosses her arms over her chest before looking at them sternly. "Well, if that's the case, then it looks like you've underestimated this woman. Not even the anbu black ops were able to track her down after she seemingly vanished into thin air. Whatever her jutsu is, it must be good."

"Believe me. It's _very_ impressive," confirms one of the anbu men. "It makes me wonder if this girl is somehow involved with the Akatsuki."

The others in the room turn in the man's direction, eying him skeptically yet curiously.

"I'm not too sure about that," Kakashi debates sounding doubtful. "They've suffered a lot of loses recently. First Sasori of the Red Sand was killed, then Hidan, Kakuzu, and Deidara, and now Itachi at the hands of Sasuke. Call me skeptical, but it seems like the Akatsuki would take time to recuperate before making any kind of strike at the Hidden Leaf Village."

Tsunade nods as she considers the copy ninja's words. "You make a good point, Kakashi. I give you that. Of course, it still leaves the question as to who she was and why she broke into my office."

Not a moment of silence passes once the Hokage goes quiet. Another anbu black op, this time a woman, speaks out determinedly.

"Don't worry, Lady Tsunade. We'll get started on pinpointing possible candidates for the assailant right away. We have all the information we need to start working."

She replies with a stiff nod before gesturing to the door with her wrist. "Very well. In that case, you're free to go. I think we've done all we can do here for tonight, anyhow."

The anbu black ops give respectful bows and appropriate farewells before exiting. Once they're gone it's just Shizune, Kakashi, and the fifth Hokage. Based on his posture it's apparent that the copy ninja wants to say something else, but the chance never comes. Instead loud footsteps echo through the hallway just outside the door. Less than three seconds later it comes swinging opened, the hyperactive jinjurichi and Tsunade's pink-haired student rushing inside looking panicked.

"Grandma Tsunade, is it true?!" Naruto exclaims.

Sakura finishes in his place. "Did someone really break into your office?!"

Instead of the blonde-haired woman answering, Kakashi responds to them.

"Yes, it's true. Someone broke into her office a few hours ago," he confirms. Then he adds, "Although, they didn't seem to damage anything, nothing was stolen, and the assailant escaped. So I don't think there's anything we can really do about it at the moment."

Sakura and Naruto stand firmly in place while staring at him blankly. Of course, a minute later, the boy in orange begins immediately protesting.

"Aw, come on! You can't actually mean that! Someone **_broke in_** to Granny Tsunade's office! They wouldn't go through the trouble of sneaking into the village and getting past the anbu black ops just for the heck of it!"

Tsunade scowls at the boy, appearing very annoyed at his early morning shouting. Opening her mouth, she snaps something back at him. Most likely something meant to get him to be quiet. As the two argue back and forth Sakura, Shizune, and Kakashi say nothing, deciding to let the argument run its course. It's too early in the morning for them to try and break anything up. Meanwhile, while the blonde boy and the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village shout at one another, it is Sakura who sees something out of the corner of her eye.

It isn't anything much. In all honesty, what she sees is so small and insignificant that anyone could miss it easily. Yet, still she sees it. Off in the far corner of the room coming from behind a plant is a small metallic sparkle. Sakura arches a brow, curious as to what it might be. The intent expression on her face doesn't go unnoticed, because that is when Kakashi speaks to her.

"Sakura," he asks. "What are you looking at?"

She replies without returning his gaze, eyes locked on the metallic shine coming from that one corner. "I'm not sure. I just got to looking around the room and noticed something. It looks like there's something behind that plant over there."

It is only once she speaks that the noise from the jinjurichi and the Hokage stops. Suddenly all eyes shoot in that direction. Certainly enough, all of them manage to spot it now that someone finally mentioned it. Naruto, of course, does more than just spot it. He walks in the plant's direction, prepared to look at whatever it is that's hiding.

"Naruto, be careful!" warns Sakura. "We have no idea what it is!"

"Yeah, but we have to find out somehow. Don't we?" he points out simply.

Before anyone else can protest Naruto bends down and feels around the plant carefully, a curious expression on his face. Several seconds later his curious expression morphs into a confused one and he pauses in his movements, apparently having found the foreign object.

"What is it, Naruto? Did you find something?" asks Tsunade.

"Yeah, but I don't think it's anything important," replies the boy as he stands to his full height. In his hand is a small plastic case containing a shiny disk. "All I found was some random DVD."

Eyes widening, the four exchange glances before rushing in Naruto's direction. Everyone looks undeniably flabbergasted. As soon as they get to talking and Naruto catches on he is just as stunned as the rest of them.

"A DVD?" Shizune says. "Lady Tsunade, I don't recognize this at all. Not to mention that neither of us has been anywhere near that corner for months. I don't think anyone would have had a chance to drop anything back there; especially not recently."

His single brow arched in surprise, Kakashi asks, "You don't think that someone broke in to leave something rather than take something?"

"Well, it would certainly make sense," says Tsunade to Kakashi and Shizune alike. "Nothing's missing and nothing has been destroyed, so someone might have come here for that exact reason."

Several long minutes pass them by, feeling more like hours. Each pair of eyes is on the simple unmarked DVD, all of them wondering what to do now that they've discovered it. At long last it is Naruto who makes the obvious suggestion.

"So are we going to watch it or what? I don't think staring at it is going to help us find anything out about it."

Gaping at Naruto like he's ludicrous, Shizune starts to protest. "We can't watch this! An enemy of the Leaf Village could use it to put us under some kind of genjutsu!"

Shizune looks to Tsunade for support, but unfortunately she doesn't get any. The fifth Hokage is already at her desk digging for something in one of her bottom drawers. Less than an instant is what it takes for Tsunade to produce a medium-sized portable DVD player. Based on the little green light that blinks when she turns it on, the device is completely charged.

"Naruto," she says, "bring me the DVD."

A beaming smile spreads across his face as he rushes across the room to stand beside her. "Here it is, Granny Tsunade!"

Opening her mouth partway, Shizune looks as though she's about to protest once more. Not only she, but Sakura and Kakashi appear skeptical as well. Of course, their skepticism doesn't last for long. The moment the DVD is in the player all of them walk over and huddle around the screen. Surprisingly there isn't any type of strange patterns or noises that would suggest genjutsu. The only thing on the screen is the face of a young woman. It's a very ordinary woman with dark brown hair and light brown eyes. In her lap is a little girl with long straight black hair and onyx eyes wearing a bright, happy, grin. The child can't be any older than four years old. At this point one of the Leaf ninjas would have spoken by now, but none of them do. They're too busy being shocked by what the young woman says. After all, based on the word of the anbu black ops, it appears to be the same young woman that snuck inside Lady Tsunade's office.

"Lady Tsunade, I'm sorry that I had to break into your office to get this DVD to you, but I couldn't think of any other way to do it. This DVD was meant just for you. Not for the anbu black ops. Not for the village elders. For you and you alone. There's a lot to tell you. So much that it might make your head spin. So, instead of jumping into it head first, let me start off with our names. That alone should tell you a lot.

"My name is Kazumi Uchiha. I'm not an Uchiha by birth, but my marriage. I was Itachi's wife. This little girl is our daughter, Miki."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Well, that's it for now. The next chapter is coming soon. I hope the first chapter made you curious enough to come back for more! :)** _


	2. Chapter 2: A Glimpse Behind the Scenes

_**A/N: Okay, Chapter Two has been written, edited, and is ready to post! Also, after writing this chapter I discovered that the scenes with the home videos take a lot longer to write out than I thought. Because of this I think that this story might pan out to be around ten chapters rather than five. There's a lot of footage they have to get through, not to mention that Naruto and Sakura's friends are going to leak into Tsunade's office little by little too. So yeah, this story is definitely going to be more than five chapters! :)**_

 _ **Well, that's all I have to say for now. On with the story! :)**_

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I only own Miki and Kazumi._

* * *

 **Chapter Two: A Glimpse Behind the Scenes**

Tsunade pauses the DVD the moment Kazumi speaks her daughter's name. Not because she no longer wants to watch it, but because she wants to hear what the others think. The moment she pauses it thoughts start pouring in. Specifically, the thoughts come from the room's skeptics.

"Okay, there's no way that this lady's for real! No woman would ever marry Itachi Uchiha!" the jinjurichi exclaims loudly.

"I'm sorry, Lady Tsunade, but I have to agree with Naruto," supports Shizune. "Itachi was only twenty-one when he died, and that was just a couple weeks ago. He was far too young to have a wife, let alone to produce another Uchiha. I'm not sure what this woman is trying to do, but whatever it is it must be a hoax."

Eyes narrowed curiously, Sakura goes up to Tsunade's desk and pulls the portable DVD player closer. A few seconds is all it takes for her to disagree. Pointing to the little girl, she speaks out.

"I'm not sure if that's true," says the pink-haired girl. "Just look at Miki. It's been a while since I've seen Sasuke or Itachi, but I remember what they look like. This little girl looks exactly like them."

Kakashi walks up behind Sakura and peers at the screen over her shoulder. "I have to say I'm on Sakura's side, here," says the copy ninja. "I don't know if this woman, Kazumi, was actually Itachi's wife or if that is really her daughter, but Miki definitely has the features of an Uchiha."

A short moment of silence passes before Shizune speaks again. "Lady Tsunade, what do you think we should do? Do you want to dispose of the DVD now, or do you want to turn it over the elders?"

"I will do neither," replies the Lady Hokage after a moment of hesitation. "Press _'play'_ , Sakura."

Again, nobody speaks. The moment the video is off of pause all eyes return to the screen. Only a minute or so after continuing to watch it already gets more difficult to believe that this woman wasn't married to Itachi. Not just because of what she says, but because of what she shows them. Eyes glued to the screen, they each listen as Kazumi speaks.

"…When Itachi died several days ago I didn't plan on telling anyone about our marriage, about Miki, or about what he was actually like. Itachi knew from the moment we met that our time together would be short, and it was his dying wish that I not inform anyone of his true self. As soon as I figured out that Sasuke killed him I tried to make myself respect his wishes, but…I just couldn't. Letting everyone believe that man I loved, married, and had a child with was some insane murderer and an evil Akatsuki member…it isn't right. As the Hokage, you have the right to know about Itachi's true self, Lady Tsunade."

Kazumi hesitates momentarily, brown eyes turning deep and sad and nostalgic. If they didn't know any better, they would say that it looks like she's trying to hold back tears. Clearing her throat, the young lady continues.

"If I was there in person I would simply tell you what he was like. But I'm not there in person, and even if I was, I doubt you would believe me. So instead I'm going to show you what Itachi was like. In the years after we met, from the time Itachi was fifteen to twenty-one years old, we made home videos. Some were filmed by me, others were made by Itachi himself, and there were even some things that his partner Kisame recorded. What you're about to see is our whole lives up until a day or so before Itachi's death, starting with the footage I recorded. There are only two copies of this footage in existence. You have one copy and I have the other, so consider yourself lucky to have this."

Suddenly, Kazumi's daughter interrupts. "Are we going to show them the daddy videos, mommy?" she asks with a bright grin.

Smiling kindly at the child, she says, "Yes, doll, we're going to show them the daddy videos. Right now, actually."

Onyx eyes brightening, Miki claps. "Yay! We're showing them the daddy videos! Itachi is my daddy!" Turning to face her mother, she asks, "Mommy, when is daddy coming back? I want him to see them too."

In that moment, listening to her daughter's question, something in Kazumi's composure breaks. Shutting her eyes tightly against tears, she whispers hurriedly, "Here is the first set of videos, Lady Tsunade. I hope you watch them."

With that the faces of Kazumi and Miki instantly cut to blackness. Sakura is about ready to press _"pause"_ again, probably to ask Tsunade if they're actually going to watch the private home videos of a deceased Akatsuki member. However, one look from the woman is enough to know that she wants to let the video play through. With that the people in the room watch as rocky walls, bright artificial lighting, and the back of a large gray sofa comes across the screen. Along with that comes the sound of soft footsteps and giggles. The giggles are feminine, making it very apparent that they belong to Kazumi. Based on the angle of the camera and how far away she is from the sofa, she seems to be looking at some sort of large main room from a narrow hallway.

Releasing another string of giggles, Kazumi rotates the camera. First a rocky wall with a light switch shows, then a long endless corridor, after that there's a tall ceiling with rocky spikes hanging down, and finally it gets to Kazumi's face. The instant her face shows they can't help but be surprised. Her face, which looked to be about twenty or twenty-one when she introduced herself and her daughter, now appears to be about fourteen. This is all it takes to show how long she has known Itachi for. If she was really around fourteen when they met, and Itachi knew that their time would be short just like she said in the beginning of the video, it would only make sense that they might have a four-year-old daughter by now.

Shizune, Tsunade, and Kakashi are thinking this as well as the two teens, but none of them says these things aloud. Instead they listen to Kazumi's much younger voice, which sounds very amused. Her deep brown eyes shine with amusement as well, as if she's about to pull some kind of fantastic prank.

"Okay, I know I was hesitant about moving into the hideout at first, but now I'm really glad I did! Since moving in here, I have learned SO much about my boyfriend!" Young Kazumi whispers while snickering. "By the way, Itachi, I'm sorry. I know you hate it when I do this, but I have to do it one more time so I can capture it on film. Your reaction is always so hilarious that future generations need to see!" Pausing, she turns the camera around so it is once again facing the back of the couch. The moment it's situated she whispers cheerfully, "Alright, I'm going into stealth mode!"

That being said, the girl lowers herself to the ground and begins moving in the direction of the couch. Whether she's crouched down or crawling nobody is sure, but the fact that she's trying to be sneaky is very apparent. Of course, the moment she starts humming the tune to _"Spy vs. Spy"_ from MAD all types of stealth fly out the window. At one point the camera turns at an odd three-hundred and sixty degree angle, suggesting that she tried to do a somersault of some sort. When the noise of skin slapping against stone and an " ** _ouch!_** " are heard it is known that this is exactly what Kazumi had attempted.

"Ah! Sweet Jashin! That is the last time I try doing the spy roll!" the girl whisper-shouts in agony. "The Akatsuki really needs to invest some money into getting their hideouts carpeted!"

A moment after regaining her bearings Kazumi goes back to humming the _"Spy v. Spy"_ tune and continues onward. The whole time the adults stare at the screen with brows raised in confusion at this girl's lightheartedness. Sakura and Naruto, while they still appear confused at how cheerful this girl is acting, seem a bit amused by it as well. Once Kazumi reaches the sofa their amusement only grows. Nobody's sure about what this girl's goal is, but it will most likely be very interesting nonetheless.

By now Kazumi has reached the couch and is crouching down behind it. Getting down lower still, she crawls around to the sofa's other end. Getting up on her knees just enough to look over the couch arm, the girl points the camera at Itachi. Like Kazumi he is much younger here, probably about fifteen years old. Not only that, but unlike the times they've seen him in person, the Uchiha is sleeping and appears very peaceful. Based on his girlfriend's amused giggle, his sleep probably isn't going to be peaceful for much longer. Then again, it might not matter. With his messed up hair and wrinkled Akatsuki cloak it looks like he's already slept for a while at this point, anyway.

Releasing another soft giggle, Kazumi reaches a free hand over the couch arm toward Itachi's feet. She reaches extremely slowly, probably because she's afraid of waking him. At this point her actions don't make too much sense to the people watching. After all of the whispering, giggling, and humming of spy music, why start taking precautions now? A moment or two passes and Kazumi's hand is about ready to make contact with the bottom of Itachi's right foot. That, however, is when her plan falls apart completely.

"Kazumi, what are you doing?"

The girl shoots straight up at the sound of her boyfriend's voice with a loud " ** _EEP!_** " nearly losing her grip on the camera in the process. After a second or two she manages to straighten it and points it directly at Itachi's face. He speaks again. Only this time, most likely due to the stillness of the camera, they are able to see that he addresses her without opening his eyes as if he's still trying to doze.

"You didn't come out here to attempt another sneak attack, did you?" asks Itachi with a small, microscopic, smirk. "I already told you that sneak attacks don't work if you're humming action music to yourself and laughing. The racket you made with the spy roll didn't help you either."

"Hey don't knock my music or the spy roll. They help set the mood," Kazumi replies brightly.

His microscopic smile growing slightly larger, Itachi turns over onto his side and motions for her to go away. The whole time his eyes are still closed. "It should be clear at this point that your plan has failed. Now why don't you go re-strategize so I can rest? Kisame and I have to leave on a mission in a few hours."

"Okay, Itachi. Don't break out your sharingan. I'm leaving. But first…" Kazumi trails off.

Raising his head slightly, the Uchiha inquires, "First, what?"

The girl shoots her hand out rapidly, running her fingers across the bottom of Itachi's right foot. To everybody's surprise he jumps straight up while releasing the shrillest, girliest scream ever to be heard from a human male. Once he's up Kazumi touches his other foot, earning another shriek. By now Itachi's eyes are wide open with surprise, Kazumi releasing echoing guffaws the whole time.

Turning the camera back to herself, she says teasingly, "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the great and powerful Itachi Uchiha! He is the Akatsuki member with the most sensitive feet and the world's girliest scream!"

Though Itachi's face can't be seen, it is apparent that he must be giving his girlfriend the death glare by the irritation heard in his voice. "Kazumi, turn off the camera, and turn it off now!"

She turns the device at an awkward angle so that it's facing an area between the ground and the couch arm. Meanwhile she replies, "Fine, Itachi. Don't be such a spoiled sport. I'm turning it off."

With that the screen goes black and Sakura pauses. Everyone else in the room looks surprised at what they just viewed. All except for Naruto who is busy releasing small chortles.

"I don't know what they rest of you is thinking, but I don't think that lady's too bad. Up until now I had no idea Itachi's feet were ticklish!" says Naruto with a chuckle.

Putting a finger to her chin a considering fashion, Sakura turns to the Hokage. "Are you sure we should be watching this, Lady Tsunade? Even if Kazumi isn't using the video to trap us in a genjutsu, I still don't feel like we should watch this. It feels…wrong."

"You mean it feels like we're watching a part of their private lives that wasn't meant for our eyes?" Kakashi puts in. "I get what you're saying. It feels like that to me, too."

Crossing her arms across her chest, Tsunade looks to them. "I understand where both of you are coming from. By watching these videos it almost feels like we're eavesdropping. Even so, I'd still like to keep watching them. Itachi's widow didn't break into my office and leave them here for nothing."

The five of them didn't realize it, but the video left behind truly is incredibly distracting. So focused were all of them on Kazumi and that one clip they watched that they never even noticed the three new people that entered the room. By the time any of them do notice it's already too late, because the small trio has heard a great amount of the conversation. Of course, in a way, they each feel lucky. The people who entered the room aren't anybody too bad.

Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji all stand there gaping at them with big eyes. When one of them does speak it is none other than the shadow-possession user.

"Itachi's widow? Videos? What the heck is going on in here?" he asks wide-eyed with shock.

"It's simple," replies Kakashi. "It was Itachi's wife that broke into Lady Tsunade's office last night. Only, it appears that she didn't break in to take anything. In fact, she actually left something."

"Left something?!" Choji exclaims. "Are you serious?!"

"Yes, we're serious!" Naruto shouts in response. "Get over here and take a look."

The three Chunin exchange glances before slowly making their way around to the other side of the Hokage's desk. As they do so, Tsunade speaks to them firmly.

"Just to be extra clear, you are not allowed to talk about the content of these videos outside of this room. If anyone finds out that this DVD exists you will answer to me! Am I clear?"

Ino is the one that responds. "Yes, Lady Tsunade. We promise. Not a word to anyone."

After a short pause, Shikamaru adds, "Are we going to watch this or not? I only have a few hours left until I have to be at the Academy to help out, and I was really hoping that I could take a nap first."

Nobody says anything. Sakura simply presses _"play"_ , the three new people in the room watching as intently as the rest; even Shikamaru's eyes are glued to the screen. The screen lights up once more with bright unnatural lighting. Only this time, instead of a sofa and a main room, the camera is facing what looks to be a countertop in a kitchen. Off to the side there very faintly appears to be an oven, confirming their beliefs of where this was taped. A moment later Kazumi comes onto the screen wearing her hair in a ponytail, adorned by a white apron with the Akatsuki symbol on it.

"An Akatsuki apron?" huffs Ino. "Hm. Why haven't we made Leaf Village aprons?"

Nobody replies to Ino. They're all too busy listening to Kazumi's sweet and joyous voice. This time those who watched the previous video note that she appears to be fifteen rather than fourteen in this clip. Apparently Kazumi didn't use her camera too much if this much time went by between videos. Either that or she cut some out before sending it to Lady Tsunade.

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to Kazumi's Kitchen! In this fantastic episode we will be making cookies!" says the girl with a cheerful smile. She pauses slightly with a hand cupped around her ear, listening to what her imaginary audience is saying. At last she continues. "What's that? You don't know what kind of cookies? Well what a coincidence! I don't know either! That's why we're doing a little something I like to call _'experimentation'_!"

Once that is said Kazumi deserts the camera and runs off to another part of the kitchen. Although she can't be seen, the clanging of pots and pans and the slamming of cupboard doors can be heard in the background. A moment later she comes back carrying a bowl, an electric mixer, a pan, a carton of eggs, flour and sugar, baking soda, butter, and some vanilla extract. There's so much in her arms at once it's a wonder she's able to carry it all. The moment she reaches the counter Kazumi sets it all down in a heap. Wiping off her hands on the Akatsuki apron, she gives a pearly white smile.

"Okay, I have returned with my cookie baking supplies. I don't know what kind of cookies they'll turn out to be, so we'll just call them _'Whatever Cookies'_! This would be much easier to do if Itachi and Kisame hadn't left the cookbook at the main hideout, but who cares. It'll be so much more fun this way! Who needs a cookbook?" Pausing, she digs a large metal bowl and the bag of flour out from the pile along with a metal spoon. "Unfortunately my boyfriend and his lovely partner forgot the measuring cups too, so these cookies will really be interesting!"

From here Kazumi starts scooping various ingredients into the metal bowl using spoons. Several times she runs off to various parts of the kitchen, realizing she forgot certain things such as milk or cooking oil or preheating the oven. Eventually, despite all of these small mishaps, Kazumi finally manages to mix something up that looks halfway decent. Though it probably has a consistency meant for cake batter rather than cookies. After a while the people watching begin wondering why this video is even in here. Did she add it in by mistake? That, however, is when it something finally happens.

"Kazumi, why is the kitchen such a mess? And is that _my_ apron you're wearing?"

Right as he's speaking Itachi enters the kitchen. He's wearing his Akatsuki cloak and is standing tall, appearing as threatening as ever. Of course, upon hearing his voice, Kazumi releases a frightened shriek and accidentally tosses the bag of flour she'd been holding into the air. The bag flies, pouring out all over the kitchen. The majority of it, however, manages to land directly on the Uchiha. A few seconds is all it takes for him to turn white from head to toe. Suddenly he doesn't seem threatening at all.

Several people in the room, specifically Naruto, Sakura, and Ino, begin releasing giggles. Despite the fact that this video is taking place at an Akatsuki hideout and that this girl was involved with one of the organization's members, the sight is still a hilarious one. When Kazumi turns around in a flustered fashion, trips, and accidentally tosses cookie/cake batter all over Itachi's face this causes the rest of the people in the room to begin snickering as well. Not just because of the way Itachi looks, but because of the irritated scowl he gives his girlfriend and the look of mock innocence she gives him in return.

"Uh…Itachi…" says Kazumi, "you have a little bit of something on your face…"

For a moment the giggles cease, all of them terrified that Itachi is going to turn his sharingan on her. However, Itachi doesn't use his sharingan in the least. Instead he walks over to Kazumi, removes a good fistful of the batter from his face, and smears it onto hers. The girl gasps at the action, as does everyone watching this video. The only thing that surprises them more is the honest to goodness smile Itachi gives her. It's not an evil or conniving smile either. If anything, it almost appears playful.

"What a coincidence. So do you."

Kazumi, who should really be mad in all actuality, returns his smile. "Hey is this any way to treat me? I was trying to make you cookies."

Itachi switches his gaze from the girl to the kitchen counter at the statement. "You were trying to make cookies without measuring cups and without a cookbook? Why didn't you go out and buy cookies instead?"

Smile never leaving, the girl gives a shrug. "I don't know. I guess it just didn't occur to me." Pausing, she adds, "Although, this awful cookie batter is still good for something…"

Honestly curious, Itachi raises a brow. "What would that be?"

Reaching out a hand, Kazumi takes the remainder of the batter from his face and smears it through his hair. The Uchiha's eyes widen, clearly surprised by her action. A moment later his smirk returns and he walks toward the counter. Frighteningly enough he is revealed to be reaching for a carton of eggs. The whole time Kazumi eyes him nervously.

"Itachi…" she asks hesitantly. "What are you doing…?"

The young Akatsuki member doesn't answer right away. Instead he removes one of the eggs from the carton and cracks it perfectly atop Kazumi's head, causing her to gasp. Of course, once her momentary surprise is over, the girl laughs.

"Oh. So that's how you want to play, huh? It's good to know that I bring out your inner man-child." Kazumi wears a playful yet knowing smirk.

"No you don't," Itachi retorts, his face going blank in defense. "I was just getting even."

Kazumi bends down so that her hands are touching the floor, her smirk staying firmly in place. A second or two passes and she scoops up two large handfuls of spilled flour, tossing them directly at Itachi. Just like the batter, it hits him directly in the face. When he blinks widely she only laughs.

"What now? Do you want to _'get even'_ again?"

Once the words are out Itachi grabs another egg, throwing it so it makes a straight hit to her forehead. The main difference from before isn't the more open form of retaliation, but is that his playful smile is back. Itachi Uchiha wearing a playful smile; until viewing the footage before them nobody in this room ever would have believed that the mass murderer was capable of such a thing. As the video continues they see Itachi doing several more things that they never would have imagined otherwise.

They see him throwing food at a significant other they never knew he had, jumping behind countertops and cupboard doors for cover, and enjoying every moment of the childish food fight. At one point he sneaks up behind Kazumi and grabs her around her waist. Spinning her around so that their faces are nearly touching, he looks as if he's about to kiss her. Then, all of the sudden, his eyes make connection with something on the counter. Once that happens his smile disappears, his body freezes, and his eyes widen to the size of disks.

"Uh…Kazumi…" he says in irritation, "please don't tell me that that annoying camera of yours has been recording the whole time…"

Turning around to face the camera, the fifteen-year-old's eyes widen as well. Then she blushes bright scarlet. Freeing herself from Itachi's grasp, she sprints over to it like a runner at a marathon.

"Don't worry, Itachi! Not anymore!"

With that the screen cuts back to black. Once this happens nobody in the room utters a word. The only reason for this is because they're far too shocked. Nobody is able to guess why, not even Sakura, but Sakura doesn't press the pause button again.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Okay, folks, that's all for now. The next chapter is coming soon. Oh, and by the way, Itachi actually does have an Akatsuki apron! If you're curious get on YouTube and search "Itachi's sunny side battle". You might be amused! :D**_

 _ **Until next time! :)**_


	3. Chapter 3: Bring on the Rain

_**A/N: Okay, it has been a seriously long time since I have updated this story! I've been so busy with college, babysitting, and with stories that I write for myself/other sites that I haven't updated this in forever! Nonetheless, I am back now, and more determined to finish this story than even before! My goal is to have "The Hidden Truth" finished before January 2016, and considering how this is going to be one of my shorter stories, I think that I will be able to accomplish this. Not to mention that I have a week off from college during Thanksgiving and then a month off before winter quarter, so I should definitely be able to get this finished! I promise that I will give it my best shot!**_

 _ **Well, that's enough senseless rambling for now. On with the story! Welcome to chapter three of my Itachi love story. Hope you enjoy! :)**_

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything related to it. I only own Kazumi and Miki._

* * *

 **Chapter Three: Bring on the Rain**

The people congregated around the Hokage's desk have no idea how much time has passed. All they know is that at some point they got tired of standing and sat on the floor against the wall. The portable DVD player is currently sitting in Lady Tsunade's desk chair, everyone looking up at the screen from where they sit. Nobody utters a word as they watch the secrets of Itachi's life unfold. The only sounds besides the ones from Kazumi's home videos are the noises of a large bag of chips being passed back and forth and loud chewing. Really, it's a good thing that Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji showed up. Choji is always good for bringing tasty snack food.

Right now, however, only part of their focus is on the chips. Most of it is on Kazumi and the footage she's shot. So far they've witnessed Itachi's sixteenth birthday party and another episode of "Kazumi's Kitchen" where she somehow managed to get Itachi to co-host. Somehow, despite the fact that this is the secret life of a murderous Akatsuki member they're witnessing, all of the stuff Kazumi has filmed so far has managed to be amusing.

Through some kind of miracle, Kazumi got the majority of the Akatsuki members to show up to the birthday party she threw for Itachi. Not only that, but she was also able to get them to wear party hats and bring presents. At first everyone in the room thought that they were going crazy or that maybe genjutsu was hidden in this video after all. Of course, when Kakuzu demanded that Kazumi give him the money she promised directly after the party, they began understanding how Itachi's widowed wife pulled this off. When Deidara informed her of the amount of clay he needed when she decides to buy it and when Tobi asked if she could make him double the amount of cookies for bringing an extra present, it was explained further still.

In the end, the only Akatsuki members that didn't show up were Pein, Hidan, and Sasori. It was later explained that there was absolutely nothing she could find to bribe Sasori and Pein with, and with Hidan that, "Absolutely nothing that can get me to wear one of those Jashin- ** _{bleep}_** party hats." It wasn't Kazumi that explained why Hidan didn't show up, but Hidan himself when he tried sneaking into the party to grab a piece of cake. Sadly, the Jashinist didn't get any. Kazumi handed the camera over to Kisame while she whacked at Hidan with a broom and told him to get out.

"You're not using your foul language at this party! Especially if you didn't agree to come!" She'd said to him angrily. "If you want cake so bad, then go bake yourself one!"

Hidan responded by calling her many foul words before walking out of the room angrily without any cake. The party went on for several more minutes before the scene switched to show Itachi and Kazumi standing in the kitchen of one of the Akatsuki's branch hideouts. He wasn't wearing his Akatsuki cloak in this part of the film, but he was wearing an annoyed frown and a white apron bearing the Akatsuki symbol. Of course, once they each proceeded with cooking meatloaf, Itachi's frown quickly transformed into a smug smile while Kazumi shouted in disbelief. In the middle of the video it went from both of them cooking together to each of them wanting to make their own meatloaf separately to see how the other would do. When Kazumi's turned out burnt to a crisp and Itachi's came out perfect, the girl was clearly very shocked.

"What, you didn't think I could cook?" Itachi asked with a smirk. "I have this apron for a reason."

Now, at long last, the scenes have switched again. For a moment the people sitting against the wall and munching on Choji's chips are expecting to see the kitchen, the living room, or some other drab part of the Akatsuki hideout. It is because of this that they are excessively shocked when trees, a large pond, and the orange and pink evening sky come into view instead. This surprises the Leaf Village viewers so much that it prompts one of them to speak.

"What do you know? They're outside of the Akatsuki hideout," says Kakashi from between Shizune and Sakura. "This is certainly a change of scenery."

When it shows Itachi standing next to the pond in the falling daylight, and when it shows Kazumi walking alongside Kisame, this prompts even more dialogue.

Ino, who sits between Choji and Shikamaru, voices her thoughts. "This really is a change of scenery. I wonder what's going to happen now."

Naruto responds to Ino's statement from Choji's other side. The whole time he's eating chips and crying like a middle-aged woman watching a soap opera. "Maybe we're finally going to get to see the wedding! I've been waiting for this moment!"

Sakura, who is also next to Naruto, slaps him in the back of the head with irritation. "Naruto, will you knock it off?! We're watching the life of a deceased Akatsuki member! This was someone's actual life, not some kind of romance movie!"

Naruto pauses eating his chips in order to rub the back of his head in pain. "Aw, Sakura, do you always have to hit me? What did I do wrong? I just want to see them get married and have their kid!"

Opening her mouth partway, Sakura is about ready to say something else. However, before she gets the chance, everyone in the room shushes her. At first Sakura and Naruto don't get it, but once they hear Kazumi's voice they understand why. Knowing that things are getting interesting once again, they too shift their attention back to the portable DVD player's screen.

"Kisame, will you please tell me what's going on?" says Kazumi, who currently holds the camera. "Itachi has been avoiding me all week, and now this morning he randomly knocks on my bedroom door and asks me to meet him by the lake with my video camera. Not just that, but he asked me to wear some outfit that I haven't worn in ages. Is something weird going on, or is the mangekyo sharingan finally starting to affect his brain?"

They watch as the blue sword-wielding shark-man gives an unknowing shrug. "I don't know what's going on with him any more than you do. He just asked me to show up so I can hold the camera."

Though Kazumi can't be seen, it's very apparent that she's confused. "Hold the camera? Why would he ask you to do that? Usually _I'm_ the one that holds the camera!"

Kisame shrugs once more. "Again, I don't know. He's been acting strangely all week. It's starting to make me wonder if Uchiha's as a whole are a bit eccentric."

It is here that Kazumi chuckles. "You'd better watch what you say. This thing is recording."

Kisame's eyes widen at the girl's confession. "You turned it on now? Why?!"

"I don't know," she says nonchalantly. "I guess it's just interesting to see what people say when they have no idea that they're being recorded."

The shark man narrows his eyes at her. "You're a tricky little thing. I hope you know that."

She doesn't respond with words. Instead she gives another laugh before they finally reach Itachi's side. When they do, the camera turns at an awkward angle so that thick green grass is on one part of the screen and the trunks of trees off in the distance are on another part. Even if the sky can't be seen, it's still easy to tell that it's evening due to the waning light and the length of the shadows. It's only when the camera straightens out that Kazumi and Itachi can be seen standing side-by-side, letting everyone know that the girl has passed the camera over to Itachi's partner.

Now that both the Uchiha and his girlfriend are in view, the people in the room do a double-take at the sight of them. Just like in the last video, the sixteen-year old Akatsuki member is seen without his cloak. Only, unlike last time, there isn't an apron with a red cloud in place of it. Instead Itachi is dressed in very nice clothes. He's wearing black dress pants, a red button-up-the-front shirt, a black tie, a black jacket, and men's dress shoes. For once his ponytail is over the shoulder instead going down his back. Kazumi is dressed very nicely as well. She wears a scarlet-colored, knee-length, dress with thick straps and strings that tie together to form a black bow in the back. Usually her curly brown hair is in a high ponytail, but right now it is hanging down all the way to her lower back.

Gaping at the screen in surprise due to their attire, Sakura speaks to Naruto. "Actually, Naruto, I think I stand corrected. Itachi might actually be getting ready to propose!"

The blonde-haired jinjurichi doesn't hesitate to gloat. "Ha! See! What did I tell you?!"

Again the people sitting around the loud teens shush them. Immediately the duo falls silent and looks back at the couple on the screen. Her voice sounding not at all irritated but intensely curious, the girl puts her hands on her hips and she makes her inquiry.

"Okay, Itachi. I put on the dress, I brought my camera, and I came all the way out here. Now do you mind telling me why you've been avoiding me all week?"

Itachi, who appears as calm and emotionless as ever, replies to his girlfriend. "Don't worry, Kazumi. You're about to get the answer to my strange behavior. But first…" Looking away from Kazumi, Itachi shifts his gaze to the man holding the video camera. "Kisame, could you please move a few feet to the right? I want to get the sunset in the shot. Otherwise I came out here wearing a suit for nothing."

Sounding confused, Kisame complies with the request and takes several steps in the indicated direction. As he does this, it is instantly discovered why Itachi wanted the sunset caught on camera. With the sun going down directly over the lake, the area is cast in a vast array of oranges, reds, and pinks. Any trees or foliage on the pond's other side are black against the light of the sunset, making the scene a truly magnificent one. The people watching can't help but be in awe of the area's beauty. The only thing that breaks them free from the trance is Kisame's voice from behind the camera.

"Okay… The sunset's in the shot…" After a long pause, the shark man asks in surprise, "Itachi, I hope I'm not jumping to conclusions, but are you about to do what I think you're going to do?"

Itachi doesn't speaks right away. However, when he does, it isn't in response to his question. "Kisame, could you please refrain from speaking until we're finished? I'm doing everything I can to make this a special moment for Kazumi."

It is here that Kisame speaks in a low tone; a tone so low that only those viewing the video can hear. "Dear Jashin, he's actually going through with it. I thought that he was exaggerating!"

Of course, nobody is paying Kisame any mind. Everyone's attention is on Itachi and Kazumi who stand next to the lake. Slowly, with the most hesitation ever seen by a human male, Itachi pulls a small box out of his jacket pocket. The whole time Kazumi's light brown eyes widen in a mixture of shock and pure undiluted joy. Nobody ever thought that they would hear themselves think this, but Itachi's onyx eyes are filled with a very surprising emotion, however faint it may be; it looks almost like... _apprehension_!

At last Kazumi speaks, her voice reflecting the same emotions shown her eyes. "Itachi…"

Though the Uchiha still appears calm and emotionless more than anything, the apprehension can still be seen despite its incredibly scant amount. When Itachi gets down on one knee and opens the box his nervousness grows ever so slightly. The fact that the nervousness can't be heard in his voice is almost surprising, but only _almost_. What doesn't surprise them at all is the fact that throughout the whole thing Itachi never breaks eye contact with his girlfriend.

"Kazumi," says Itachi once he's down on one knee, "Marry me."

In most situations like this one, those viewing would expect a gasp from the person being proposed to or a beaming smile. Of course, considering how the woman who just got engaged is no more than a fifteen-year-old girl, she is smiling times ten. Not to mention squealing, obsessively screaming with pleasure, and intensely hugging her sixteen-year-old boyfriend around the neck. The whole time she manages to do all of this while jumping up and down.

"Is this why you've been acting so weird all week? Oh my gosh, that explains everything! And yes, I will definitely marry you! I would never ever say no to you!" Practically skipping, she takes the ring from the box and slides it onto her finger. Meanwhile, she shouts over to Itachi's partner. "By the way, you were completely wrong, Kisame! Uchihas are not eccentric! They're wonderful!"

Kisame replies to her statement, but once again it is only loud enough for those watching the video to hear. "I wouldn't say that he isn't eccentric. Anyone who plans on getting married to a girl at sixteen years old seems like a lunatic to me."

Neither Itachi nor Kazumi hearing his comment, Kazumi shouts over to him once more. Somehow Itachi has gone from emotionless to smiling in the space of five seconds.

"Kisame, turn off that camera and get over here! You have to see my engagement ring! Itachi got me one in the shape of the Uchiha Clan symbol!"

Kisame responds bluntly. "Okay, I'm on my way."

It is only after the words have been spoken that the screen fades to black. Once the screen is dark Naruto gets to his feet and jumps up and down much in the same fashion as Kazumi. To everyone's displeasure, he squeals like her too.

"Yes! Itachi proposed! They just got engaged, they're going to get married, and we get to see the wedding! Who knew that Sasuke's evil older brother that killed the Uchiha Clan could actually be romantic?! It's too bad that he's dead, because otherwise I would ask him for some tips!"

This time it isn't Sakura that reprimands him, but Shikamaru. From his place at the end next to Ino, he shoots Naruto an annoyed expression.

"Naruto, will you quit jumping around like an excited child and sit down? These are home videos, not a soap opera. What we're watching is something very important!"

Turning to face the shadow-possession user, Naruto ceases in his excitement and frowns. "Hey, don't you think I know that? I found the DVD! Of course I know it's important!"

"Then why are you bouncing around like an idiot?"

The jinjurichi doesn't respond right away. Instead he puts a finger to his chin and contemplates Shikamaru's words. It is only a moment later that Naruto grumbles to himself and resumes his previous seat on the ground.

"Okay, fine. You have a point. I just thought that maybe Itachi wasn't such a bad guy and I got excited for a moment, but never mind. He was a murderous Akatsuki member, so I guess that idea is kind of impossible."

A short moment of silence goes by before someone eventually responds to Naruto's comment. When someone responds, it is none other than Ino.

"Actually, I guess it isn't entirely impossible. Itachi was a bad guy and he did some really bad things, but over all he's actually starting to seem like he was… _human_."

"Yeah," adds Choji in agreement. "It's a weird thing to admit, but Itachi actually seems like he was a pretty decent guy for an insane killer. Even if he killed his entire clan and was cold and emotionless, it looks like he did have a heart in there somewhere. He really seemed to be in love with Kazumi. We just saw him propose to her!"

A small smile crosses over Naruto's face at Choji's and Ino's words. Opening his mouth, he looks about ready to say something. That, however, is when the unexpected happens. Before any of them has a chance to blink, let alone comprehend what's happening, the door to Lady Tsunade's office busts open. Once the door opens, a loud echoing voice fills the room. So terrified is everyone at the sudden appearance of more people that the eight of them jump to their feet from shock. Sakura must have paused the DVD at some point, because a large white _"pause"_ symbol is the center of the screen. It's a good thing too, because based on the trio that stands in the doorway they have a lot of explaining to do before they can continue watching Kazumi's home videos.

"Who proposed?! Is there a couple here who is engaged to be married?! Hopefully we did not miss anything that is incredibly youthful!"

Standing in the center of the room looking as green and energetic as ever is none other than Rock Lee. Loitering in the doorway to Tsunade's office, appearing more than a little bit embarrassed by their teammate's actions, are Tenten and Neji. Blushing slightly, Tenten walks inside the room followed by a solemn-looking Neji. Laughing uneasily, the girl is the first to apologize for Lee's _"youthfulness"_.

"We're very sorry, Lady Tsunade! Lee didn't mean to come barging in here! His youthful side got the better of him, and he just got…excited!" Turning to face the green-clad boy, the girl glares at him. "Lee, you can't just barge into the Hokage's office! It's disrespectful!"

Realizing his actions, Lee also blushes. "Oh, right. I am sorry, Lady Tsunade. Tenten is correct in saying that my youthful energy got the better of me. I was not thinking."

Rubbing her temples, Tsunade gives each and every one of them an apathetic look. Normally she would be furious, but with Naruto and Sakura barging in here and then with Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji coming in uninvited she really doesn't care anymore. As long as the anbu black ops or the village elders would never pull a stunt like this, it honestly doesn't seem like it matters too much. Nonetheless, the woman still gives an aggravated sigh at the sight of the three new faces.

"You're already in here, so don't bother apologizing," says the Hokage bluntly. "Just shut the door, and come over here and sit down. I already let everyone else join us, so I guess I'll let you three in on the secret too. At this point, what's three more?"

As if for some form of atonement, it is Lee who goes over and gently pulls the door closed. Once it is closed the three of them look in Lady Tsunade's direction, as if realizing the number of people who are in the room for the very first time. The fact that all of them are sitting on the floor behind the Hokage's desk and staring intently at the object sitting in her chair makes the sight seem even more odd than before. Arching curious brows, Team Gai stares at the conglomeration in puzzlement.

"Out of curiosity, why are all of you sitting on the floor behind the Hokage's desk staring at a black screen?" Neji asks skeptically.

"Are we late for movie night?" adds Lee.

"Uh… kind of," says Kakashi awkwardly. "It's hard to put into words exactly what's been going on in here…"

It's a good thing for all involved that Naruto is there to summarize things. "To make a long story short, Itachi's wife broke into Granny Tsunade's office and left us a copy of their home videos. It's too bad that you came here late, because you missed Kazumi introducing herself and her's and Itachi's kid."

"It's okay, though. We missed that part too," says Shikamaru lazily. "Then again, it'll probably show Miki Uchiha in the later videos, so it shouldn't matter too much."

"What you should really be upset about is missing the birthday party, the food fight, and the proposal. Those parts were by far the most interesting!" says Choji through a mouthful of chips.

Nobody really seems to notice it, but Neji's, Tenten's, and Lee's eyes have widened to the size of disks. Several seconds pass and none of them says a word. At last, when one of them does speak, it is none other than the Hyuga.

"Did you just say that Itachi Uchiha had a wife and a daughter, and that you're viewing their lives through home videos?"

"He was only twenty-one when he died!" protests Tenten. "This has to be some kind of joke!"

"No, it really isn't a joke. Kazumi was actually his wife and she actually left Granny Tsunade their home videos. Get over here and take a seat, and you'll see so yourself!" says Naruto.

Sakura adds, "You made it here just in time for the wedding."

The three members of Team Gai exchange glances, appearing very unsure of what they're about to see. Of course, unsurprisingly, it doesn't take any more than sixty seconds for them to round their way around to the other side of Tsunade's desk. They have to rearrange themselves, shove the desk back a bit, and move the DVD player, but eventually they get settled. The moment they're situated, Sakura doesn't hesitate to press play. Once play is pressed it takes less than sixty seconds to erase each and every one of their doubts.

Itachi of the Akatsuki indeed had a wife, and she had the long white dress and a ring bearing the Uchiha symbol to prove it.

* * *

"I'm so excited, Konan! I don't think I've ever felt this excited before! If I get any more excited, I'm afraid that I'm going to explode!" After a short pause, the girl resumes speaking sounding a bit startled. "Oh my gosh! A person can't actually _explode_ from excitement, can they?!"

The viewers watch the screen in silence as Kazumi stands in a small dimly-lit room with nothing besides a chair and a wide set of double doors filling the area. The girl, probably closer to sixteen than fifteen at this point, wears an incredibly elaborate white dress. It has a full skirt, a tight-fitting bodice, and modest yet tasteful long-sleeves. The sleeves are made entirely of lace and the dress comes down so that it shows her shoulders, but it manages to be not at all revealing. The large skirt has lace covering it as well. On some women a dress like this would look like far too much. On Kazumi, however, it is absolutely lovely.

Aside from the dress, the girl continues to look lovely. Her shiny coffee-colored curls are pulled up into a tasteful bun with a flawless paper rose decorating it on one side. She wears makeup as well, but definitely not too much. All Kazumi wears is blush, dark brown eyeliner and mascara, and red lipstick. Though nobody says it, there isn't one person in the room who doesn't think that Itachi picked out a very lovely bride. Not just because of her elegance, but because of the beaming smile of joy that causes the girl's face to glow.

At last a female voice answer's Kazumi's question; most likely the one referred to by her as _'Konan'_. Chuckling, she says, "No, Kazumi. A person absolutely _cannot_ explode from excitement." Pausing, she adds, "At least that's true as far as I know."

An honest expression of relief crosses her face before her smile returns. "Well that's good to know. The future Mrs. Uchiha can't die before even reaching the altar!"

Konan chuckles again from behind the camera, as does the bride.

"Yes. That would be very unfortunate." After a long moment of hesitation, the Akatsuki woman continues on sounding a bit more serious. "Honestly, I still can't believe that this wedding is happening. It was surprising enough when Itachi decided to bring a girl into the hideout. The fact that you're now getting married only a couple of years later is even more astonishing. Itachi just turned seventeen a few days ago, you know, and you don't turn sixteen for another couple of weeks. Isn't this a bit too soon?"

Kazumi retains her smile as she shakes her head vigorously. "No. Absolutely not! If anything, it feels like it's been too long! I'm marrying Itachi, and I'm marrying him today!"

Again, Konan laughs. The people watching this can't help but be surprised at how much the unseen Akatsuki woman giggles. Not only that, but she has a very soothing voice. As an S-rank criminal, it is definitely surprising how honestly kind the woman sounds. The only thing that shocks the room full of people more are the words that leave Konan's mouth a moment later.

"You certainly sound eager. Is the rule of abstinence that you and Itachi set up finally becoming too much for you to handle?"

It is here that Kazumi's smile morphs into an expression of discomfort. Cheeks coloring, the girl avoids eye contact. "Konan, please don't ask me that on camera! It's embarrassing!"

The woman holding the camera sounds amused and impressed all at the same time. "Don't be embarrassed about it, Kazumi. Honestly, you and Itachi have gained my respect. It isn't too many people that wait until their wedding night to share their first night of sexual intimacy."

If Kazumi's face wasn't red before, then it is definitely red now. Apparently the young bride isn't the only person who is embarrassed, because a very demanding voice comes from the other side of the double doors. The voice isn't just demanding, but it sounds every bit as uncomfortable with the topic of conversation as Kazumi's voice.

"Konan, if the camera is actually on, I would highly appreciate it if you would turn it off. I think Kazumi got out all of the emotions she wanted to get out." After a long pause, Itachi adds, "Kazumi agreed not to film any part of our private wedding ceremony, so please turn off the camera. **_Now._** "

It is here that the camera turns at an awkward angle so that it's facing the shadows of the ceiling. The whole time Konan's voice can still be heard; it hasn't lost a single ounce of amusement.

"Very well. I wouldn't want to embarrass a virgin couple on the day of their wedding, so I will comply and turn off the video camera."

It is here that the screen cuts to black, plunging the Hokage's office into total silence. It stays silent for a good three seconds before an uncomfortable cough is released from Shikamaru. Once this happens someone finally speaks, that "someone" being Tenten.

"They waited until they were married? That's actually kind of sweet," says the brown-haired kunoichi with a smile.

"I know. I was just thinking the same thing," Sakura replies from several feet away. "I'm surprised that an S-rank criminal would put up those kinds of stipulations. It's very… _gentlemanly_."

At long last, it is the stoic Neji who speaks. "Itachi Uchiha was many things, but he definitely wasn't sweet or gentlemanly. He was an evil man that murdered the entire Uchiha clan."

"I must agree with Neji," states Rock Lee from the Hyuga's other side. "Despite the fact that he married a woman, I have doubts that he was at all kind."

Nobody says anything else after this. Not because the conversation is over, but because they are distracted as another video lights up the screen. After several changes of scenery, they are once again inside of the Akatsuki hideout. The only difference is that it isn't Kazumi that's holding the camera, neither is it Itachi. Really, Itachi and Kazumi aren't even inside the room. The video camera is instead pointed at an open window, the pitter patter of rain sounding through the ears of the viewers. Louder than the sound of the gentle rain is, again, the voice of Konan.

"I'm happy that I didn't wait until tomorrow to return Kazumi's camera to her. This is really a very sweet sight."

A male voice replies to Konan's words. To those that were present for the proposal and Itachi's birthday party, it is the unmistakable voice of Itachi's partner, Kisame. When he speaks he doesn't sound as pleased by what their watching as Konan. Rather, he sounds confused.

"Call it sweet if you want to, Konan, but I don't understand this. Isn't rain on your wedding day supposed to be a bad thing?"

The woman replies sounding not at all concerned. "Not to the two newlyweds, it isn't."

Konan adjusts the camera so that those watching can have a better view of what is happening. Once adjusted, the viewers are able to see a misty screen of rain as it soaks the grass, the trees, the soil, and everything else beneath the sky. Astonishingly, also being soaked by the rain are Itachi and Kazumi. It truly is their wedding day, because the girl is still in her dress and Itachi is wearing a black tuxedo. Yet, despite the fact that their wedding attire is currently being destroyed, the duo of teens appears very happy. Itachi has Kazumi by her upper arms and Kazumi holds onto Itachi's forearms, the seventeen-year-old spinning with his pretty wife in the downpour. Her muddied white dress flies out as they spin, as does Itachi's sopping wet ponytail. The whole time joyous, carefree, laughter can be heard echoing through the raindrops. It's a type of laughter that almost makes the young man in the tuxedo seem like a completely normal teenager.

"What do you say, Itachi? Bring on the rain?" asks Kazumi between chortles.

Based on the question, it's obvious that what she's saying is something between them; something that none of the viewers will ever understand. All they can gather is that whatever it is they were talking about before Konan started recording must have been something important.

At last Itachi replies to his wife while laughing freely, but also sounding determined. "You know what, Kazumi? You're right. Bring on the rain!"

Equally determined, Kazumi shouts as well. "Yes! That's exactly what I've been saying since the day we met! Bring on the rain!"

The two go silent and continue laughing. Eventually the spinning becomes too much, because Itachi loses his balance by slipping on the muddied earth beneath him. When this happens the two fall to the ground, ending up soaked by a large mud puddle. Of course, this doesn't damper their joy. Even if it's raining and they're covered in mud, happy laughter still rings through the air. The only time it stops is when Itachi takes out the pins holding up Kazumi's hair and lets her brown curls tumble down her back. A few seconds later Kazumi mimics this action by taking out the tie that holds in Itachi's ponytail. Once the pins and the hair-ties are out the newly married couple shares a passionate kiss, fingers entwined in each other's hair. As this happens Kisame coughs awkwardly.

"Uh…Konan…I think it's time to stop recording…"

Konan sounds like she feels uncomfortable as well. "I think you're right, Kisame. We should let Itachi and Kazumi have their privacy..."

With that the screen goes dark once more, and nobody says a word. Instead they sit in silence and wait for the next video to play. For once Lee is speechless and Neji doesn't wear his usual harsh frown. Rather, they both appear taken aback ever so slightly.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Okay, that's it for now, folks. I'll try to get chapter four up by next week, but with college, babysitting, and getting preparations made for my winter internship, there are no promises. Don't worry too much, though, because I will give finishing this story my best shot! Count on it!**_

 _ **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Until next time! :)**_


	4. Chapter 4: A Souvenir from the Honeymoon

_**A/N: Again, it feels like it's been far too long since I've updated, and I am very sorry! I've had to prepare for my winter internship, I've had these huge projects to do for some of my college classes, and then I've had these long scientific essays to work on for Human Development. So, if I haven't updated sooner, then that's the reason why. Of course, now fall quarter is over, and I have an entire month off! I still have to make preparations for my internship and I have babysitting to do, but other than that I'm a free woman! Even if I have other stories that I enjoy writing, my plan is to dedicate my month off to finishing this story. I've been neglecting it far too much!**_

 _ **Anyway, here is the next chapter of "The Hidden Truth". This post is specifically meant to celebrate my month of freedom before winter quarter, so I hope you enjoy! :)**_

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything related to it. All I own are Kazumi, Miki, and my Chevy Malibu._

* * *

 **Chapter Four: A Souvenir from the Honeymoon**

"What? We don't get to see where they went for the honeymoon? I can't tell what the rest of you are thinking, but I feel cheated."

Naruto sits against the wall with his arms crossed, an irritated frown on his face. While nobody is quite as annoyed as he is, there are those who agree with him. From several feet away, it is the green-clad ninja with the thick eyebrows that chimes in concurrence.

"I must confess that I am also feeling a bit let down. It is really quite sad that Itachi's wife fell ill so soon after they were married."

From here nobody in the room says a word. Instead they watch as Kazumi smiles tiredly into the lens of the camera. Because of the gray covers and the white pillows surrounding her, it is apparent that she is lying on the bed in her's and Itachi's bedroom. Based on the plain black t-shirt she wears and on how her hair is slightly askew, she hasn't yet fixed herself up for the day. At a first glance, this is very surprising. Whenever the girl is filming she normally looks fairly put-together. When she speaks, however, her state of disarray is immediately understood.

"Okay. I normally don't talk to you, Mr. Video Camera. Usually I talk to Itachi, or Konan, or Kisame, but Itachi and Kisame just left on a week-long mission, and Konan just left to buy groceries. Because of this, I guess I'm stuck talking to an inanimate object that can do nothing but record me." After a lengthy pause, she speaks once more. "Actually, maybe it's a good thing that none of them are here. If they heard what I'm about to say, then they might get nervous; especially Itachi… If he knew that I was sick he would definitely be concerned. In the two years that I've been living in the hideout and during the year we knew each other before that, I've never been sick."

Again, Kazumi pauses in her speech. As she does this, she leans toward the nightstand beside the king-sized bed in order to grab a glass of water. After several long sips she places it back on the nightstand and continues speaking.

"To be honest, I'm not really _that_ sick. Sure I've been feeling more tired than usual and have been vomiting some, but over all I'm perfectly fine. Since Itachi and I got married seven weeks ago I haven't been sleeping as much, so that probably explains why I'm tired. When it comes to my vomiting, it might just be my digestive system trying to readjust to the water or the food in the Akatsuki hideout or something. We did go pretty far away for our honeymoon, so that actually might be it. That's why I'm drinking water right now, actually. If my digestive tract can get used to it again, then my days of nausea are officially over!"

The girl smiles once more. Due to the power of reasoning and positive self-talk, she's looking better already. However, before anyone in the room has a chance to blink, the girl's smile fades. Not to a look of sadness or disgust, but to an expression that lets everyone know that her days of nausea are most definitely **_not_** over. Her face looking a bit greener than before, Kazumi puts a hand to her mouth. The sixteen-year-old tries holding herself together, but that doesn't last for more than three seconds.

"Oh, Jashin!" she says in what sounds like pure misery. "Not again!"

With that being said, the camera she was holding falls from her hand and clatters to the ground. From its spot on hideout's floor, (which several of the people present notices is now carpeted), a dresser, a wardrobe, and a door leading to a bathroom are seen. Due to the tilt of the camera, all of these things are seen at an odd ninety-degree angle, but they're still visible nonetheless. A second later Kazumi comes into the shot, bare feet and gray sweatpants scurrying across the floor in the direction of the bathroom. Once the girl enters inside the door the light flicks on and the sound of the porcelain toilet seat going up is clearly heard, followed by the sound of retching and dejected whining.

"For the love of mercy!" she shouts from inside the bathroom. "What's wrong with me?!"

Another few seconds pass before the screen finally turns to black. The next video plays only a few seconds later. Before it does, however, Kakashi manages to get in a few words.

"I have a feeling that everyone here knows what's going on with her. Am I wrong?"

"No, not at all," replies Shizune from beside him. "She looked to be around twenty years old when she introduced herself and Miki at the beginning of the video, and at this point she's sixteen. This would be about the right time for it to happen."

Arching a blonde brow, Naruto gazes over at the two in confusion. "The right time for what? What's going on with her? I thought that she just ate some spoiled leftovers."

Nobody replies outwardly. They simply stare at him blankly. The only one that speaks is Sakura.

"Idiot," says the pink-haired kunoichi under her breath.

Turning his sharp blue gaze on Sakura, the jinjurichi glares at her. "Idiot? What are you calling me an idiot for?! I just don't get what's wrong with Kazumi!"

Shikamaru sighs from several feet away. "Be quiet, Naruto, and look at the screen. I'm sure Kazumi's going to explain it herself, anyway."

The blonde boy doesn't have a chance to reply to the shadow-possession user. Instead Kazumi's voice flows through the room once again. Like in the last video, she is sitting on the bed in her's and Itachi's bedroom. Only, it's fairly obvious that some time has passed since the last video. Instead of wearing what looks like pajamas she's wearing a nice set of day clothes. Not only that, but her hair is fixed and she doesn't appear nearly as tired as previously. Of course, despite this, Kazumi doesn't exactly appear to be her happy go-lucky self. Really, it's exactly the opposite. Rather than happy, she looks nervous; nervous, and very uncertain…

Voice quivering slightly, she speaks slowly, "Well, I'm back Mr. Video Camera. I know the last time I turned you on was six days ago, and that I don't normally turn you on this often when everyone is away, but this is…an… _emergency_? I don't think that _'emergency'_ is actually the right word. I think the word I'm looking for is…unexpected?" After a slight pause, Kazumi continues. "Yeah, I think that unexpected is the right word. I'm talking to you again because something _'unexpected'_ has come up."

A long moment of silence passes after that, Kazumi nibbling her lower lip in uncertainty. A minute or two later she speaks again, but this time it's with an awkward and embarrassed laugh.

"Well, I guess it isn't _that_ unexpected. I was expecting this at some point. Just not this soon! Itachi wasn't expecting anything like this so soon either!" Pausing, Kazumi laughs once more. This time it seems like it's more to calm herself down than anything. Meanwhile, she adds, "Oh, what am I talking about? I don't even know anything for sure yet! That's why I'm sitting here talking to an inanimate object that records people! I'm still waiting for the tests to come up positive or negative! I got two different tests and they still have about two minutes left, so I don't know yet if I'm pregnant or not!"

Again Kazumi falls silent, this time for only a few seconds. Once she resumes speaking she only says a few short sentences.

"Oh, sweet Jashin! What have I gotten myself into?! Itachi's going to have a heart attack!"

Suddenly, that's when the door to the bedroom is heard creaking open. Based on the look on Kazumi's face, she's still in a mode of internal panic and hasn't even noticed. When the sound of a concerned male voice reaches her ears, however, the internal panic turns outward.

"I stay away from sweets and fried food and I always make sure that I exercise, so I highly doubt that the reaper is going to get me through a heart attack any time soon," states Itachi from off-camera.

A few seconds pass and he saunters into the shot, an unreadable expression on his face. His Akatsuki cloak is wrinkled and he looks a bit worn out, making it clear that he just returned from a mission. The whole time Kazumi doesn't turn to face him. She simply sits on the bed with her back straight and brown eyes the size of saucers without moving. At last, Itachi speaks again.

"Now that the subject of my health has been cleared up, do you mind telling me what's happened while I've been away? Coming home and seeing my wife talking to a video camera in concern is really quite a disturbing sight." After a moment of silence, he asks, "You're not turning into one of those maniacs who have become convinced that doomsday is coming, are you?"

Kazumi still doesn't turn to look at him. Gulping, she responds to him nervously. "No. Not all. I've just been…lonely?"

Onyx eyes narrowing, Itachi stares her down quizzically. It's very apparent that he knows something is going on with his wife. It's also apparent that the Uchiha can't quite figure out what it is. Opening his mouth, he is about ready to speak out once more. That, however, is when the loud **_ding_** of a timer sounds off from their bathroom. It is so loud that Kisame can probably hear it from his room down the hallway. Eyes widening, Itachi looks in the direction of the noise before looking back at Kazumi. If he wasn't curious before, then there is no doubt that he's curious now.

"Kazumi…" he inquires slowly, "What was that?"

"Uh… A _ding_?" she says stating the obvious.

Touching his fingertips to his forehead in exasperation, Itachi frowns. "That much I already knew. I meant, what was the ding for?"

"Who knows?" Kazumi replies uneasily. "It could be for anything."

The raven-haired seventeen-year-old sighs. "Well, getting answers from you certainly isn't working. I'm going to go see for myself."

Before Kazumi can comprehend what's happening, Itachi is walking in the direction of the bathroom. The girl who previously wasn't able to move is now leaping up from the bed. The camera turns at an awkward angle so that it's facing an area between the bed and the floor. The whole time Kazumi shouts to her husband pleadingly.

"Itachi, no! Don't go in there!"

More than anything, the people watching would like to see what happens. Unfortunately for them, they don't get to. Directly after the words leave Kazumi's mouth, the screen cuts to black. Once this happens they stare at the blank screen for several seconds before a person among them finally speaks. After the previous conversation between the room's inhabitants, it isn't hard to figure out which one of them is the one to break the silence.

"Oh, so that's what's wrong with Kazumi! She's pregnant! Gee, if she's pregnant, you'd think her stomach would be big by now."

The people surrounding the blonde-headed jinjurichi should technically feel relief that he understands that the Uchiha's wife is pregnant. Instead there is a mixture of blank stares, groans, and palms slapping against foreheads. When he sees this, this only works to make Naruto confused.

"What?" he asks while arching a brow. "She is pregnant, isn't she?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean that her stomach is going to be big yet! She's probably only one month pregnant!" exclaims Sakura in irritation.

Ino continues, "A woman doesn't usually start showing until she's four months along, and even then it's hard to tell it apart from belly fat!"

All it takes is one moment after Ino speaks for Naruto to learn that he isn't alone. Originally he was going to respond to the flaxen-haired kunoichi, but Choji speaks in his place. When he does, the jinjurichi can't help but feel a little bit better that he isn't the only one who's in the dark.

"Four months? Pregnant women actually start showing that soon? Huh. I always thought that their stomachs got big around six months," says the Akimichi through a mouthful of potato chips.

Eyes widening in surprise, it is Sakura who responds. "Six months? Where'd you get that idea? Babies only have nine months to develop! If they aren't getting larger until six months, then how are they possibly going to be ready to breathe outside the womb once they're born?"

Much like Naruto and Choji, Lee stares at the women in confusion. Moving so that he can see them all clearly, the green-clad ninja shares his thoughts.

"Mothers are supposed to give birth after nine months? I thought that it was eight months!"

To make things even more frustrating, Neji jumps into the conversation. "Yes, but your estimation wasn't any farther off than mine. I was with the assumption that it was ten months."

It is here that the women in the room, along with Kakashi and Shikamaru, groan collectively in irritation.

"You know what? Why don't we forget about this conversation," says Kakashi. "If we keep going, we're going to give ourselves headaches."

Pointing to the portable DVD player, Tenten adds, "Besides, the next video is starting."

With that being said the room goes silent once more, everybody unintentionally following the copy ninja's suggestion as they turn their eyes back to the screen. At first they're all expecting to see Kazumi's face, either painted with a beaming smile or streaked with tears. Based on what happened in the previous video, either of these could be a potential result. It is because of this that when it is Itachi's face on the screen rather than the brown-haired adolescent girl, those viewing are more than a bit surprised. The only thing that surprises them more is the odd expression that graces the Uchiha's features. He doesn't look entirely joyful neither does he look entirely annoyed, but instead he appears to be a mixture of both.

Fatigue on his face and Akatsuki cloak wrinkled, it is made very clear that this was filmed only a short while after the previous video. With a porcelain sink and toilet in the background, as well as a small shower stall and floor with white and red tiles, it is also made apparent that Itachi is filming this in the bathroom. At first everyone wonders why this is, but with the two white sticks resting on the edge of the sink and a small box sitting next to a windup timer atop the close-lidded toilet, they all have a faint idea of the reason behind Itachi's filming location. When he speaks, Itachi's reason for recording himself inside of his and Kazumi's bathroom becomes even more apparent.

Odd combination of joy and annoyance evident in his voice, he begins lecturing his absent wife while massaging his temple with his forefinger and middle finger. "Kazumi, there are many times when your teleportation jutsu has been a very convenient asset, but then there are also days like today when it seems like the most aggravating jutsu in existence. I really wish you would have stuck around so we can talk about this instead of teleporting somewhere miles away from the hideout. This really does need to stop, but really, what can I say? I learned long ago that there's nothing I can do to stop you. Your will is an unbreakable thing, Kazumi, I give you that."

After a brief pause, Itachi continues. This time the irritation fades away completely, leaving nothing behind except for happiness and a small smile. As small as the smile is, it still manages to hold all of the joy in the world.

"It's such a sad thing that you decided to run away from me. Had you stayed, you would have been able to see the look on my face when I picked up the pregnancy tests. You know, I think I might have lied to you. It ends out that the reaper did almost take me through a heart attack." Pausing, Itachi turns the camera away from his face and points it at the sink. Zooming in on the two white sticks balancing on the edge of the porcelain, it is clearly seen by the little screens that each of them has the same results: two vertical pink lines running side-by-side. Meanwhile, the Uchiha continues. "Of course, I should mention that after my heart almost gave out, I started smiling. I've never seen a pregnancy test before, let alone tried reading one, but I think that two lines means positive? At least that what it says on the back of the box …"

Itachi moves the camera so that it's pointing to his face once more. Nobody knows for sure, but it almost looks like his small smile might have grown by a notch or two; maybe even three.

Meanwhile, he continues. "Then again, I guess it doesn't matter if I've never seen a pregnancy test before. I've seen one now and I've also seen the box, and according to the box, you are definitely pregnant. So now that we've covered that much, I would really appreciate it if you would get back here before tomorrow morning so that this video I'm making is completely unnecessary. Kisame and I have to leave for another mission tomorrow. We'll be gone for another three days, and I really don't want to wait until I get back for us to schedule a doctor's appointment. I want to make sure that my wife and the baby Uchiha are going to be healthy."

Pausing he adds, "I know we're young, Kazumi, but don't worry yourself so much. Life is short. I may only be seventeen, but the idea of being a father makes me happy. I'll get to see our child learn how to walk and learn how to talk this way. Also, there will be an Uchiha who doesn't know about the years of bad history between our clan and the Hidden Leaf Village. Our child will be able to grow up and rewrite history for the entire Uchiha Clan; a good history that isn't filled with conflict. So don't view this pregnancy as a bad thing, and don't think that I'm feeling angry or terrified, because I'm not. I love you, Kazumi, and I love our unborn child just as much. So if I'm gone by the time you get back and I don't have time to say any of this to you, just know that what I'm saying is true. I'm happy about the pregnancy, so I hope that you're happy too."

Itachi hesitates once more. Based on the intense expression on his face, he seems to be mulling something over that's very important. When he speaks again his words take everyone by surprise. Not just that, but it also gives the occupants of the room a chuckle or two.

"By the way, Kazumi, I know how excited you're going to be after you watch this and hear that I'm happy. Even so, that doesn't mean that you're allowed to start picking out themes for the nursery without me. I really want to do the jungle theme, and I don't want you taking advantage of my absence so you can start buying decorations for the under the sea theme. I don't want you looking at any cribs without me, either. If you get one with a headboard that's too small, then it will never have room for me to paint on the Uchiha symbol." Pausing, he adds with all seriousness, "And Kazumi, please never show this to any of the Akatsuki members. It already doesn't sound masculine knowing that I'm arguing with you over themes for the nursery, but if Kisame finds out that I don't want to do the under the sea theme he might snub me for a week."

With that being said, Itachi shuts off the camera and the screen fades to black. The whole time they stare at the screen speechless. Really, the room's dead silence doesn't surprise a living soul. Everybody staying quiet and nobody saying a word has actually become a running theme for whenever Itachi does something significant when on camera. There's something about the way the Uchiha speaks and about his body language that always manages to turn them silent.

Honestly, the adults as well as the teens that occupy the room are expecting this episode of silence to last for a good long time. From now up until several videos from now they aren't expecting anyone to say anything at all. To be blunt, it should have stayed this way, too. The only reason it doesn't is because a few seconds later loud echoing knocking fills the room. The knocking is so sudden that it causes everyone to jump up in surprise and forces Sakura to pause the video. The people inside the Hokage's office now on their feet, they stare at the wooden door as the knocking comes again.

In between knocks, a small feminine voice speaks out. "Lady Tsunade, we don't mean to disturb you, but we heard what happened last night. We just wanted to make sure that everything is okay."

Another person speaks out, this time someone who sounds louder and more masculine. "We've been worried and so has Kurenai sensei, so we told her that we would come and see if you found out anything about the person who broke into your office."

All eleven of them are able to recognize the voices instantly. Relieved that it isn't the village elders who decided to check in on the fifth Hokage, they share a sigh of relief before turning to face Tsunade. Each of them looking at her questioningly, it is Shizune who whispers to the elder lady.

"What do you want to do, Lady Tsunade? Should we send them away?" asks the woman.

Tsunade doesn't answer. Instead, she turns toward the wooden door and shouts a question to the unseen people standing in the hallway.

"Hinata, Kiba, Shino, are you alone? Is anybody with you?"

It is Kiba who responds. "Besides the village elders, Danzo, and the thirty anbu black-ops that are here with us, we're completely alone."

All of their eyes widen simultaneously, as none of them are sure if Kiba is lying or telling the truth. The only time any of them gets an answer is when Kiba flings the door open, revealing himself, Hinata, and Shino. Other than the three of them, nobody is standing there. Laughing, he strides inside with Shino and Hinata following close behind.

"Ha! I'm kidding! Besides us, nobody's here. I bet I gave you a scare, though."

Voice filling with irritation, Shino responds to his rambunctious teammate. "Kiba you really should know better than to go barging inside of Lady Tsunade's office. She didn't say that we could come in, you know."

Brown eyes narrowing, Tsunade replies in displeasure as she leans against the wall with her arms crossed. "Don't worry about it. You're not the only ones who decided to come in here uninvited. As of today, it seems to be a running theme."

Brows arching in surprise, Team Eight stares at the amount of people standing inside the room. When one of them speaks it is none other than the blue-haired kunoichi.

"Why are all of you here?" she asks slowly. "Are we late for something?"

Tsunade isn't the one who responds to the inquiry. Not because she doesn't want to, but because she knows that it's already covered.

"Yeah, you're late for something! You missed the food fight, the proposal, their wedding day, and the moment when Kazumi found out she's pregnant!" exclaims the blonde-haired jinjurichi.

Kurenai's students stare at the boy in confusion.

"If this is a soap opera you're watching, then I'm not interested," states Kiba bluntly.

Moving out from behind the Hokage's desk, it is Neji who passes by Team Eight and shuts the wooden door tightly. Only when it's closed does he speak.

"This thing we're watching is absolutely _not_ a soap opera. Far from it."

"Itachi's wife broke into granny Tsunade's office and left some of their home videos behind, and now we're spending the morning watching them," states Naruto easily.

"If you do not wish to miss the birth of Miki Uchiha, it would be wise for you to come over here and sit down," adds Lee. "Other than Naruto and Sakura, none of us had the opportunity to see Itachi's daughter in the beginning of the video besides Lady Tsunade, Shizune, and Kakashi sensei. Because of this, we are most eager."

The confusion on their faces doesn't ebb in the slightest. If anything, it looks like it has only grown in capacity. Puzzled, it is Kiba who speaks.

"Itachi's wife… Home videos… Daughter…" pausing, he exclaims. "What the heck are you talking about?!"

By now everyone who'd previously been watching the videos has sat back down, and Sakura's finger is hovering over the play button. The whole time Naruto gives Kurenai's students a smile as he waves them over.

"Get over here and find out," he says kindly. "There's plenty of room, and if there's not, we'll make some."

The members of Team Eight exchange glances before shrugging nonchalantly and walking to their side of the room to join them. They have to readjust themselves much like they had to when Team Gai came in. Of course, once everyone is settled, it doesn't take long for Sakura to press play. When the video starts, looks of astonishment come across Hinata's, Kiba's, and Shino's faces almost instantly.

Unlike the previous three videos, this one doesn't take place anywhere near Kazumi's and Itachi's room. Based on the rocky walls and on the gray scenery, they're still inside the confines of the Akatsuki hideout. Even so, this area within the hideout is much more spacious. With the gray sofa and the high ceilings, those who watched the first video are immediately able to recognize this place as the living room. Only, Itachi isn't taking a nap this time and Kazumi isn't trying to sneak up on him. Instead the girl is standing on a step stool in front of a full-length mirror that sits in the center of the floor.

In her hands is a yellow measuring tape that seamstresses use whenever they're measuring a client for a new outfit. Smiling happily, she wraps the measuring tape around her midsection and looks into the mirror. She wears loose-fitting black pants and a tight red tanktop. With a looser top nobody would notice, but her midsection does look like it's a bit thicker. The girl isn't exactly showing; not even close. It's simply that her waist isn't as small as it was. If anyone was watching this without knowing about her pregnancy, the amount of excitement in the girl's voice would sound incredibly strange.

"Itachi, isn't this great?! My waist is one point five centimeters thicker! Another centimeter and that will be a whole inch! I knew that my pants were fitting me tighter!"

Apparently Itachi is the one holding the camera, because it moves slightly as he gets closer to his wife. Meanwhile, he replies sounding quite happy. It isn't with the same over-the-top joy that Kazumi has, but nonetheless, the Uchiha does sound quite pleased.

"I never thought that your clothes fitting you tighter could make you happy. It truly is amazing the effects that pregnancy can have."

Smile never fading, she sighs happily. "Yeah. I never thought that it would make me happy either. But when I looked in the mirror this morning and saw that might stomach might be bigger I felt like I wanted to jump for joy!" Pausing, Kazumi's smile turns into a teasing smirk. "You know, Itachi, you've been acting out of character too ever since you found out I'm pregnant. I never thought that you would use your sharingan on a store clerk!"

His voice a perfect monotone, he replies, "He tried doubling the price for the crib because we're teenagers. Even if we put it on layaway, we'll cause the Akatsuki to go bankrupt if we try buying anything at that price." After a moment of slight hesitation, he adds, "Really, doubling the price was the least of it. It's still unbelievable that he would have tried getting us into legal trouble for painting the symbol of our clan onto the crib's headboard because it was made out of _'one of a kind cherry wood'_."

They watch as Kazumi shakes her head and chuckles. "Don't worry about it, Itachi. I'm only two months along. We still have plenty of time to get baby stuff."

"According to the time of conception that the doctor gave us, you're nine-and-a-half weeks along by now. In three more days, that will be two-and-a-half months," corrects Itachi.

Again, Kazumi shakes her head in amusement. "I know that, Itachi. I don't always have to be that specific, do I?"

"Yes," states the Uchiha simply. Sounding a bit concerned, he adds, "Now would you please get down from that stool? I don't want you falling off and hurting yourself or the baby Uchiha."

Smile never fading, the girl removes the measuring tape from her waist and steps down gently from the stool. Putting one end of the tape around her hand, she begins wrapping it up into a coil. As she does this, she speaks to her husband.

"Okay, now that we're done I'm ready to go out for sushi. Just let me put on a different shirt."

Trace amounts of amusement ringing through his voice, Itachi responds from his place behind the camera. "You're cheering about your waist getting thicker and begging for sushi all in one day. I never thought that I would see this side of you, Kazumi."

"And I never thought that you would be so willing to videotape me while I measure my waist. Usually you hate my video camera."

"I don't mind it much anymore. Admittedly, the fact that you record yourself once a week every single time you measure your waist is a bit much, but it's more than tolerable." After a slight moment of hesitation, he adds, "Now let's get going before the streets get too crowded. Otherwise we might not make it in time to get your new favorite food that you used to hate."

With that being said, Itachi shuts off the camera and the screen goes black. Nobody admits it outwardly, but the affection in the murderous Akatsuki member's voice was more than noticeable. Had they been able to see his face, it wouldn't surprise them if he'd actually been smiling.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Okay, guys, that's it for now. Since I have a month off, I will try my absolute best to make sure that chapter five is up a whole lot sooner! I'm sorry if this chapter was a bit boring, by the way. I was going to add more, but I figured this would be a good place to stop it. I've just made a major decision about what's going to happen in the story line, and things are going to change dramatically! Originally I wasn't going to go this route, but starting next chapter, I've decided that I'm going to go with an idea that I originally decided to ditch with this story. What idea am I talking about? You'll find out in the next chapter. Hopefully you guys will like it! Until next time! :)**_

 _ **Forever and always,**_

 ** _OCQ_**


	5. Chapter 5: Change Comes Swiftly

_**A/N: Though it has only been ten days since I've updated this, it still feels like a super long time to me! I meant to get this chapter done sooner, but because of the stories I write for other websites and because of doing Christmas stuff with my family, I haven't been able to get to it until now. Even so, I am still very happy with the way this chapter turned out. Again, I decided to go in a direction with this story that I had originally planned on ditching. The only reason I've decided to go with it now instead of ditching it is simply because I think that it will give the story a better sense of development. Not only that, but it will definitely cause things to get more interesting. Hopefully you like the drastic changes I've made to the plot of the story, and hopefully nothing I've added comes off as unauthentic or cheesy. Remember, I didn't decide to go with this idea until a short while ago, so I only have a short amount of time for character development.**_

 _ **Anyway, here is the next chapter of "The Hidden Truth". It was a lot of fun for me to write, so I hope that you enjoy reading it just as much! :)**_

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own any OCs that I decide to create._

* * *

 **Chapter Five: Change Comes Swiftly**

Everyone in the Hokage's office sits on the floor behind Tsunade's desk in silence. Every pair of eyes is glued to the screen as video after video plays. Several times now they've watched Kazumi measure her stomach. Each time her waist gets a little bit thicker, the girl progressing from ten weeks pregnant, to twelve weeks, and eventually to fourteen weeks. It currently shows her measuring her stomach again, only one week away from being four months pregnant.

They don't know this just because they've been counting the weeks, but because Kazumi's stomach is starting to round out ever so slightly. Like every other time she measures her stomach her shirt is tight, accentuating her belly's growing roundness. Even so, it still qualifies as a bulge more than one of those large basketball-sized pregnant tummies that are most often visualized.

Standing on a stool in the Akatsuki's living room in front of a mirror once more, Kazumi beams at Itachi. This time, much to their surprise, the Uchiha isn't behind the camera. Instead it's standing on a tripod several feet away from them. Normally those viewing wouldn't know this for sure, but considering how Kazumi was filming Itachi setting up the tripod and laughing as he grumbled to himself, the fact of the tripod is pretty much certain. The only thing that's more certain is the pleased expression on Itachi's face as he helps his wife with the measuring tape.

"I must admit that you weren't bluffing, Kazumi. In that shirt, it really does look like you're starting to get your pregnancy stomach."

Grinning, she replies, "I know! Isn't it exciting! The baby Uchiha has little arms, little legs, a nervous system, and everything! The doctor said that at this stage the baby can even suck its thumb and play with the umbilical cord! Can you believe that it's only the size of an avocado?!"

Itachi's pleased expression morphs into a fully fledged smile at his wife's words. "What excites me is learning our child's gender. I'm ready to stop calling the baby Uchiha _'it'_ and to starting calling it _'he'_ or _'she'_. Not to mention that once we know the gender we can finally start coming up with names."

Smile never fading, the pregnant adolescent turns to face her husband who stands behind the stool. Based on his position, he's most likely there just in case Kazumi decides to fall off. Not only that, but probably so he can take in the full extent of her newly bulging stomach. Meanwhile, the girl expresses equal pleasure at the mention of the child's gender.

"I know! I've been waiting for that too! I can't wait for the ultrasound next week so we can find out if the baby Uchiha is a boy or a girl!"

"It's a good thing we found a doctor that's kind to us, too," Itachi replies. "The two doctors before this one treated us like we were the scum of the earth."

Kazumi frowns as she replies. "Yeah, I noticed that. Hopefully they don't treat all young parents that way. Otherwise their patients must be miserable." Pausing, she adds with a smile, "Oh well. That's over and done with now. The new doctor smiles, is happy, and she doesn't glare at us, so life is good!"

With that being said, Itachi pulls his wife closer and kisses her atop the head as he rubs gentle circles into her slightly swollen abdomen. Based on his actions, it's bluntly obvious that he forgot about the video camera that's recording them. Feeling as though they're eavesdropping on the two lovers, several of the room's occupants avert their eyes from the screen. It's only when Itachi speaks that they point their gazes upward once more.

"I believe you're right, Kazumi. With you, me, and the newly forming baby Uchiha, life is good. Since Leader Pein left us the entire northeast branch hideout, that makes life even better. At this point, it feels like nothing can happen to ruin it."

Placing her smaller hands on top of Itachi's larger ones, Kazumi snuggles against her husband. Again people start to avert their gazes because they feel as though they're peeping in on a very personal moment. In fact, one of them even voices this.

"Why is this video even in here?" asks Ino as she keeps her gaze pointed away from the screen. "We already know that Itachi loves her! How much more proof do we need?"

"Do not jump to conclusions, Ino," states Rock Lee as he stares at the screen. "I am most certain that Kazumi left this video in here for a reason."

Instead of Ino, it is Naruto who replies "Really? What reason is that?"

Lee doesn't have time to respond. Then again, he doesn't really have to. A few seconds is all it takes for the video to answer the blonde-haired jinjurichi's question. One moment the Uchiha couple is snuggling with Itachi's hands resting on Kazumi's stomach, each of them appearing more than content. The next moment, a loud booming voice comes to them from off camera somewhere. The voice is so loud that both of them jump, causing Kazumi to drop her measuring tape and to nearly fall off of the stool. It's a good thing that Itachi was there to catch her and to lower her to the ground, otherwise there's no doubt that Kazumi would have met the carpeting.

Meanwhile the duo on the screen cringes at the sound of the branch hideout's new occupant. Not only that, but Shikamaru cringes from his place toward the end in between Choji and Lee.

"Guess what, **_{bleep}_**?! You **_{bleep}_** are getting new roommates!"

Cringing once more, Shikamaru gives a sigh. "I thought that the content she recorded is supposed to be about her and Itachi. Why does she have to include _him_?"

Nobody replies to the shadow user's comment. They're much too busy watching as a silver-haired man wielding a three-bladed scythe enters the branch hideout's living room. The scowls on Kazumi's and Itachi's faces are impossible to miss as he gets closer to them; especially when a large careless smile paints itself across the Jashinist's smug face. Onyx eyes turning cold, Itachi stares at him threateningly while speaking.

"Why are you here, Hidan? Leader Pein agreed to let Kazumi and I use this branch hideout. The only people allowed here besides us and Leader Pein, are Konan and Kisame."

"You should go back to the main hideout. There's more room for your rituals and your fancy scythe there," adds Kazumi sounding very unenthused.

Smug expression never leaving, they watch as Hidan gives a shrug. What he says next surprises all of them to no end.

"Hey, I would go back to the main hideout, but I can't go back there even if I wanted to. I talked to Pein, and he made some changes." The Jashinist pauses and shouts to someone outside of the camera's range. "Hisa, get the **_{bleep}_** in here! I want you to meet Itachi and his **_{bleep}_** wife!"

Itachi and Kazumi exchange surprised glances at Hidan's words. The whole time those watching from the Hokage's office feel as their eyes widen. Nobody says anything, but they have a feeling that what they're going to see next will be a major surprise. If it was surprising to the Uchiha couple, then there's no doubt that the Leaf ninjas are going to be taken off guard by it. When a shrill female voice replies to Hidan's call, their astonishment only grows.

"Alright, Hidan, don't be such a nag! I'm coming! I can only walk so fast, you know!"

Before anyone has time to process what's happening, a young woman with bright orange hair and piercing silver eyes walks into the living room and stands beside Hidan. Her hair is straight and runs the whole length of her back with a simple hairclip holding it into a half ponytail. Her chin is narrow, her cheekbones are high, and her silver eyes are extremely wide. Another thing that's wide is her stomach. With as small as her frame is, it's plain as day that she isn't at all overweight. Rather, she appears to be around six months pregnant. Considering how she must be eighteen at the very oldest, this last observation comes as a surprise. Upon seeing this, Itachi's and Kazumi's eyes widen further.

"Uh…Hidan…? Who's your new friend?" Kazumi asks in a mixture of confusion and shock.

Smile fading, Hidan replies nonchalantly with his arms crossed. "This is my wife, Hisa. We got married on accident while we were drunk six months ago. I didn't remember that I actually got married until last week, so I went back to the town to divorce her. When I got there I found out she got knocked up with our kid, so instead of divorcing her I brought her back here. Pein is already letting Itachi and his **_{bleep}_** live here, so I figured he'd let us move into this hideout too. Ends out I was right."

Itachi's onyx eyes turn colder than before at Hidan's second to last sentence. His previous expression would have been enough to give anyone a chill, but this expression is good enough to freeze a grown man solid. Honestly, the people witnessing this exchange on video are even scared by it. It is because of this that they are slightly taken aback when Hidan doesn't show the slightest hint of fear. Even when Itachi speaks he doesn't seem at all afraid. His smug demeanor stays firmly in place the whole time.

"I would appreciate it if you would not use that term to describe my wife. Her name is Kazumi. You can either call her by her name, or you can refer to her as my wife, but you will absolutely not use your foul language to identify her."

Opening his mouth slightly, Hidan appears ready to reply to Itachi with a snide remark. However, before he can, Kazumi asks the question that everyone's wondering. Based on the dread filling her large brown orbs, she is the farthest thing from happy.

"You don't actually mean it when you say that you're moving in here, do you? There's no way that Pein would let another couple move in here. He set aside this branch hideout specifically for Itachi and me. He said so himself."

As if the universe is against Kazumi and the raven-haired Uchiha, the Akatsuki leader with the piercings enters the room from another part of the hideout. If there's one way to describe him, it would definitely be stern, emotionless, and all the way around frightening. When he speaks using a deep horrifying voice, it gives several of the viewing Leaf shinobi chills.

"Actually, Kazumi, you are wrong. This hideout is not set aside for you and Itachi. After Itachi got involved with you, I decided to set a hideout aside for any significant others that members of the Akatsuki might eventually have. Once Itachi decided to bring a woman into the Akatsuki, I knew that the trend wouldn't end with him and that a place for Akatsuki women and children would eventually become necessary. Based on what has happened recently, it appears that this is exactly the case. So, whether you like it or not, you will have two new couples joining you here at the northeast hideout."

Kazumi gives a long heavy sigh. "So Hidan isn't lying, then? He's actually going to be living here at this hideout with his scythe, and his foul language, and with _'The Way of Jashin'_?"

Pein gives a stiff nod. "Yes. Hidan and Hisa will be joining you and Itachi."

Itachi cringes slightly, as if the very words he's speaking torture his soul. "Very well. If we're stuck with Hidan, then I suppose that Kazumi and I will simply have to learn how to deal with him."

Hidan gives the Uchiha an annoyed look, taking offense at his words. "Hey, don't start acting superior! If anything, you should be thanking me!" Moving closer to Hisa, he places a hand on her stomach as he continues. "Now your kid's going to have company, and it's all thanks to me!"

Blowing an orange strand of hair out of her face in irritation, Hisa shoots her husband a glare. "Yeah. It's all thanks to you. It's not like I'm the one carrying it inside me for nine months or anything."

Catching his wife's glare, the Jashinist glares right back at her. "Hey, don't get **_{bleep}_** with me! You're lucky that sacrificing my wife and divorcing a pregnant woman go against Jashin's Law, otherwise I would have done both of those a long time ago! Don't think that I'm putting up with your **_{bleep}_** attitude because I want to! I'm doing it because I _have_ to!"

Hisa scowls as she responds sarcastically. "Wow. I get to stay married to an insane Jashinist with a potty mouth and give birth to his child. I must be the luckiest woman alive."

Removing his hand from her stomach, Hidan's glare darkens. Honestly, he appears about ready to break both of the rules he quoted from Jashin's Law. Before he can, however, Kazumi asks a question.

Brown eyes widening with realization, she says, "Hold on a minute. Leader Pein, did you say that there are **_two_** new couples joining us in the northeast hideout?"

The man with the piercings doesn't have time to answers. Before he can utter a single word, another loud voice echoes through the hideout. It isn't as loud as Hidan's voice, neither does it sound as smug. Rather, it sounds irritated.

"I wish I would have known how much room there is at this hideout, un. Otherwise I would have gotten a girlfriend a long time ago!"

Itachi and Kazumi appear taken off guard as they shift their gazes to a spot off camera. Meanwhile, Hidan, Pein, and Hisa don't appear surprised in the least. Their expressions appear nothing but nonchalant, as if they really don't care one way or the other. It takes a few moments, but at last their other set of new roommates appears in the living area in front of the camera.

The first to enter is a girl-looking boy with long blonde hair pulled into a half ponytail. When he turns to the side in order to face Pein they notice that he has eyes that are a bright shade of blue, one of them being covered by flaxen bangs. He has an expression on his face that holds the same irritation previously heard in his voice. When he speaks to the Akatsuki leader, the emotion is heard once more.

"You've really been holding out on the rest of the Akatsuki members, un. This branch hideout is better equipped than the main hideout."

Pein looks at him sternly. "I'm the Leader of the Akatsuki. I don't have to tell the rest of the members anything that I don't want to."

Upon hearing this, Deidara gives a shrug. "Okay, fair enough. At least I know now, un." Pausing, he turns to call to a person in another room. "Kaminari, you should probably get in here, un. If you're going to live at this hideout, you need to meet the other people that are going to be living here."

"Okay, sorry, Dei. I got distracted," replies a soft-sounding feminine voice. "I don't know who painted the little white clouds on the walls of that one room, but they're so cute! I can tell that it's definitely going to be a nursery!"

Kazumi, who'd been going back and forth between staring blankly at Deidara and glaring at Hidan until now, turns in the direction of the unseen girl. When she does this, a beaming smile crosses her face and she bounces up and down excitedly.

"Ooh, I painted the clouds! They're supposed to go with Itachi's jungle theme! You actually think they look good?!"

A girl runs onto the screen at Kazumi's exclamations. She's tall, slender, and has medium-length black hair that's pulled into a high ponytail. Much like the Uchiha's wife, she jumps up and down as her emerald green eyes brim with excitement. Really, she can't be any older than fifteen. The whole time, those in the Akatsuki hideout as well as the viewing Leaf shinobi watches on in surprise.

"Yes, yes, yes! They look fantastic! Once the nursery's together, it's going to look so cute!"

"Thank you! After Itachi is done painting the Uchiha symbol onto the crib, I'll have to let you see that too! He's even putting together a mobile that goes with it!" Kazumi exclaims as she takes several steps closer to the girl. Extending a hand, she introduces herself. "My name is Kazumi Uchiha, by the way. I'm Itachi's wife! It's nice to meet you."

The black-haired girl returns the handshake eagerly. "I'm Kaminari, Deidara's girlfriend! It's nice to meet you, too!"

From here Kazumi and Kaminari continue talking to each other eagerly, eventually pulling Hisa into the conversation as well. At first Hidan's wife is hesitant, not to mention a little grouchy at their peppy attitudes, but it doesn't take too long for the older girl to grow comfortable with them. Amazed at how well the significant others of dangerous S-rank criminals are getting along, the Leaf Village viewers begin talking amongst themselves.

"Wow. I wish everyone could make friends with people that fast," says Tenten from her place in between Ino and Neji. "Life would be a whole lot easier."

"I must admit, for such evil people, Itachi and Deidara certainly picked out very cheerful counterparts," adds Lee sounding stunned.

Smirking, Shikamaru gives his input as well. "The loudmouth got married, but his wife doesn't want to be with him and he doesn't want to be with her. I should've seen that coming."

Kakashi, who sits in between Sakura and Shizune at the wall's opposite end, speaks for everyone with the statement he makes. "One thing's for certain. This just got very interesting very fast."

* * *

Life in the hideout changed so swiftly that the Leaf ninjas can't stop watching for even a moment. One minute Kazumi and Itachi are in the hideout by themselves preparing for the arrival of the newest little Uchiha, and the next there's another couple and another family-in-the-making living with them.

The fact that the blonde and raven-haired couple are polar opposites in personality, along with the realization that Hidan and his impregnated wife make up the components to a very unbalanced family system, causes the viewing shinobi to wonder exactly how much of a disaster this must have been for Itachi and Kazumi. Surprisingly, based on the videos they've seen, it looks like things could have gone much worse than they did.

The first video that was shown after their roommates' appearance was of Kazumi giving a tour of the hideout to Hisa, Kaminari, and Deidara. Kaminari was commenting on things and giving compliments the whole time, she and Kazumi getting along like two peas in a pod. Deidara spent the duration of the tour looking bored, only speaking to say that a particular room looked like a good place to test out his clay bombs, and to tell Kaminari that they are never painting clouds on the walls because they "are fifteen years old and absolutely NOT having a baby!"

"But, Dei, we're going to be sixteen in a few months! Kazumi's sixteen and Hisa's eighteen and they're both having babies, so we should keep the trend going!"

Deidara simply narrowed his eyes at her in irritation. "Kazumi and Hisa are both insane like their husbands, so the answer is still no."

The only person who didn't talk during the tour was Hisa, who kept rubbing circles into her stomach and frowning. Only when the video of Kazumi showing them the hideout ended and when the next video started did Hisa speak. Even then, it was only to tell Itachi and Kazumi her child's gender.

The Uchihas had just returned from the doctor's office, both of them looking over what appeared to be a black and white piece of film and smiling. Hisa, (who was the person filming them), told them that even if both of their babies are girls that they look entirely different. The Uchihas' baby waved its arms and held onto the umbilical cord, while her baby moved its feet more than anything.

"Aw, we're both having girls?!" Kazumi exclaimed joyfully. "We'll have to go shopping and buy little pink outfits together!"

Hisa gave a chuckle at Kazumi's words. To anyone with ears, it was obviously a very forced and insincere chuckle. Upon hearing it, Itachi and Kazumi immediately looked up from the photographs of their child from the ultrasound in concern. As they did this, Hisa spoke.

"Uh…yeah. We will have to go shopping for pink outfits. With my kid being a girl, I guess blue and green wouldn't make too much sense, would it?"

Frowns deepening, it was Itachi who replied first. Even with the intense chill filling his onyx eyes, it's very apparent that his anger wasn't pointed at the orange-haired girl.

"Hisa," he asked slowly, "When you told Hidan that you're having a girl, how did he respond?"

Voice holding no emotion, she replied simply. "Well…he didn't really say anything. He picked up his scythe, slammed out of the room, and I haven't seen him since."

That piece of information evoked a mixture of sad sighs and enraged huffs from those viewing.

"Geesh, what a jerk!" Kiba stated.

"I don't get what's so bad about a girl. If I had a wife that was having a baby, I would just be happy about it in general," said Naruto easily.

Ino simply stated, "Who cares about Jashin? It's time for a divorce!"

Several others in the room shushed those who were speaking, wanting to hear what the adolescent boy was going to say next. Nobody confessed this aloud. Right now they still won't admit it. Yet, even the most skeptical of the group gained a few ounces of respect of Itachi in that moment.

Looking straight at the redhead, or straight at the camera, he said, "Listen to me, Hisa. If there is ever anything you need, please come to Kazumi and I. Prenatal vitamins, clothes for you or your child, doctor's visits, we will go with you to get those things. Do not depend on Hidan, because he is not going to help you."

Giving a small smile, Kazumi added, "Even if you don't have Hidan, you do have us. You also have Kaminari, and maybe even Deidara. You aren't alone, Hisa."

For the first time since the rest of the Akatsuki families started showing up in the videos, Hidan's wife honestly sounded grateful.

"Thanks. For a person who murdered his entire clan and for a teenage girl who was crazy enough to marry him willingly, I've decided that I like the two of you."

Once that was said, the video ended. Now they're watching an entirely different film; one that includes Hisa, Kaminari, and of course, Kazumi. Based on the way they're talking nobody else is there with them, so it is immediately assumed that the video camera is on a tripod. As the video plays the first one to speak is Deidara's peppy and cheerful girlfriend, Kaminari.

"When Dei first brought me here, I had no idea that there would be Akatsuki members that had wives! And the fact that you're both close to my age and that you're pregnant? This is so great! Move into the Akatsuki's northeast branch hideout with him; Dei's best idea ever!"

The girls are in what appears to be a bedroom type area. Normally they would be able to tell for sure what the room they're standing in is supposed to be, but with tarps covering furniture, with cans of paint sitting everywhere, and with animal-shaped stencils strewn across more tarps covering the floor, discerning the room's function is impossible. Or, at least this is true until Hisa speaks.

Upon looking at her, it's very apparent that a couple of months have passed since the last video. Her stomach is much larger than it was before. To put frankly it appears as though she swallowed a bowling ball, putting her at eight months pregnant.

"Are you sure you girls are willing to do this for me? My daughter already has a crib, not to mention a changing table and a dresser. Painting the walls of the nursery really isn't necessary."

Kazumi, who has a paintbrush in one hand and has the other resting on her own much larger stomach, replies with a sweet smile. "Of course it is! You want Imae to have a zoo-themed nursery, then she's getting a zoo-themed nursery. Sleeping in a room with cute giraffes and happy zebras sounds a lot better than a room with drab rocky walls."

Still not convinced, Hisa protests once more. "But what about your daughter, Miki's, nursery? You still haven't finished painting the monkeys or the parakeets."

Dipping the brush in a can of orange, Kazumi shrugs. "Yeah, but Itachi has a whole week coming up without missions, so we can finish Miki's nursery then." Pausing, she adds, "Besides, I'm only six months pregnant. That leaves me a whole other trimester. You, you're eight months along, so we really need to get moving!"

Smiling just as widely, Kaminari adds, "Don't be such a spoiled sport, Hisa. Once we're done painting we can go to that town and get that yellow baby blanket that you like, and that pretty mobile with the stars!"

Hisa doesn't smile, though she does cease in her protesting. "Well…okay. I really think we should be focusing on making baby Miki's arrival special because her daddy actually wants her, but if you're so determined to do things for my baby, then I guess there's nothing I can do to stop you." Pausing and turning to face the camera, she adds, "But is filming this really necessary? All we're doing is painting."

Kazumi, who already has the rough outline of a tiger on the wall, replies with a smile. "It's _because_ we're painting that filming this is necessary. Later on in life when Imae is feeling down, she can watch this and be happy because she'll get to see how much she's loved. Not just by her mama, but by Aunt Kazumi and Aunt Kaminari too."

"Ooh, Aunt Kaminari! I like that!" replies the raven-haired girl with the flat stomach as she busily paints a zebra. "It makes sense because all of us are Akatsuki women! Being Aunts to each other's kids is like our way of sticking together!"

The six-month pregnant girl looks momentarily surprised before shooting Deidara's girlfriend a grin. "You know, I think you're right, Kaminari. We hardly know each other, but we are kind of sticking together."

Kaminari returns the smile, appearing ready to say something else. Before she can, however, the redheaded Hisa speaks. When she does this, it is apparent by the sound of her voice and the expression on her face that she is extremely upset. Not at them, but at another person entirely.

"It's good that we're sticking together, too, because at least both of you are willing to welcome Imae into the world. All Hidan does is complain that he can't divorce me because of the kid, and then he calls me fat and walks out," Hisa confesses bitterly. Then, before anyone has time to process it, the sliver-eyed girl is bursting into tears. "Why doesn't he want our baby?! Itachi wants your baby, so why can't Hidan want ours?! It's his daughter too! Do you know that he hasn't even looked at the pictures of Imae from the ultrasound or felt her kick?! Out of all of the men on the planet, how did I get stuck with one as cold and heartless as Hidan?!"

Dropping the brush that's holding the orange paint, Kazumi rushes across the room in Hisa's direction. While doing so, she shouts to the room's other female.

"Kaminari! Shut off the camera!"

The girl replies without hesitation. "I'm already on it!"

A few seconds is all it takes for the screen to turn to black. When this happens, nobody says anything. This isn't because they don't want to, but because it doesn't take any time at all for the next video to start. At first they wonder why Kazumi didn't put in a longer transition. Of course, once they start watching it, they're immediately able to guess that Kazumi didn't want to hold off on letting them see this next clip. It's so utterly shocking that all they can do is gape at the screen in disbelief.

When the camera turns on, the first thing they see are the brown hair and brown eyes of Kazumi Uchiha. Normally when she's filming herself she appears happy or reasonably content. The girl always wears a happy smile, but rarely does she appear so joyful that it looks like she's going to burst. This is why the absolute over-the-top joy painting Kazumi's features is definitely something to look twice at. Not to mention how in awe she sounds when she speaks into the camera.

"Okay, I know that I'm risking becoming a sacrifice to Jashin by filming this, but it is completely worth it. You just have to see this, Hisa."

With that being said, Kazumi turns the camera so that it's facing the large gray sofa in the Akatsuki's living room. Passed out looking exhausted and extremely uncomfortable due to the weight on her stomach is Hisa. Her lovely orange hair is askew and she has a spot of blue paint on her cheek, making it known that she was working more on her daughter's nursery earlier. Not only that but she's shivering slightly, as if feeling a draft. When seeing the silver-haired Jashinist that kneels down beside her, most would wonder if the draft is coming from him. Upon closer observation, however, it is learned that this is not at all the case.

Hidan is kneeling beside Hisa, but not to glare at her or to show contempt. Amazingly, he has her shirt lifted up just enough so that it reveals his wife's enlarged stomach. Using both of his large hands, he feels her stomach tenderly. At one point he even rests his cheek on her bare midsection as if trying to get closer to the baby. The whole time Hidan speaks.

" ** _{Bleep}_** , you must be really healthy, baby girl. You really kick and move around a lot. No wonder your mama's so tired."

There's a brief pause, during which Hidan releases a small yelp. Sitting straight up, he rubs his cheek which was resting on Hisa's stomach. Surprisingly, when Hidan turns there isn't any irritation on his face whatsoever. Rather, he appears both smug and amused.

" ** _{Bleep}_** , you're a grumpy little thing! Aren't you, baby girl? Just like your mama. I hope you have her fiery orange hair when you get the **_{bleep}_** out here. It'll fit you." After a moment of hesitation, he adds, "But if you have your mom's hair, you need to have my eyes. Kakuzu, Sasori, and Kisame all think that you're not my kid, and it would be nice to hear them say that while you're staring them down with violet eyes."

With that being said, Hidan gives Hisa's belly a gentle pat before pulling her shirt back down. Once her stomach is covered, he grabs a black blanket bearing a white Jashin symbol off the end of the couch and tosses it over her. Not only does he cover her up, but the Jashinist even goes as far as tucking her in. By the time he's finished, Hisa actually does look more comfortable too. As he does this, Hidan speaks to her.

"I'm really glad you're too tired to hear me say this, but the nursery looks good. I don't know how the **_{bleep}_** you learned how to paint those animals, but they don't look bad." Under his breath, he adds, "The paint had to be cheaper than that **_{bleep}_** nursery set with the crib. I'm going to owe Kakuzu money for the next ten years!"

Hidan doesn't say anything more after that. He walks to the other side of the living room, picks up his scythe that was leaning against the wall, and leaves the room silently. Only once he's gone does Kazumi move away from wherever she was hiding to enter the main room. The instant she walks in, Hisa starts to stir. Her eyes don't come open due to drowsiness, but she's still able to ask this question nonetheless.

"What… I never brought a blanket out here with me… Who covered me up?"

Kazumi doesn't give a straight answer. Rather, she answers specifically in a roundabout fashion. The whole time happiness never leaves her voice. "Don't look now, but there's a very peculiar symbol sewn into the blanket. As far as I know, there's only one person in the hideout who fancies that symbol."

It is after Kazumi speaks that she turns off the camera, causing the screen to fade to black once more. There is a long moment of silence as the Leaf ninjas stare at the screen in shock, unblinking and unmoving. At last, when one of them does speak, what they say speaks for everyone in Tsunade's office.

"That was…unexpected," states Kakashi simply.

"Is it only when she's sleeping that Hidan feels her stomach? That's just creepy," says Naruto appearing freaked out.

"If he actually does care about Hisa and the baby, then he should say something. Why would he put his wife through this kind of emotional turmoil?!" Tenten exclaims.

"He's an Akatsuki," Shikamaru replies from a few places away. "They don't care about what they put others through. That's why they're S-rank criminals."

Ino, who hasn't spoken in a while now, goes against Shikamaru's claim. "Actually, I don't think that's completely true. Even if he's an Akatsuki member who killed his clan, Itachi doesn't seem that bad. Hidan and that weird blonde guy, maybe but not Itachi. He seems pretty humane."

Glaring at the flaxen-haired kunoichi with white pupil-less eyes, Neji gives a very firm response. "Itachi Uchiha slaughtered his clan, betrayed the Hidden Leaf Village, and turned his brother into a revenge-seeking criminal. That man is the farthest thing from humane!"

For the first time since watching the videos, it is Hinata who speaks up. "But Itachi did seem to care about Kazumi, and he willingly helped Hisa when Hidan wouldn't. Maybe he was kinder than the other Akatsuki members."

Neji immediately turns his glare on Hinata. "Loving a woman and being helpful doesn't undo the things he's done, Hinata. These home videos don't prove a thing. Itachi is nothing less than evil."

Nobody has time to respond to that last comment of Neji's, whether their response is good or bad. Instead their eyes turn back to the screen as the next video starts. When it starts it isn't Kazumi filming, neither is it Itachi. It doesn't show the face of the person holding the camera, but the majority of the people in the room are still able to place the man as Itachi's partner, Kisame. This isn't just because of his voice, but due to the content of what he says. When the shark man speaks, he sounds completely and utterly stunned; not to mention, more than a little bit disturbed.

"The last time I came to this hideout it was just Itachi and Kazumi, and Itachi was the same stoic, threatening partner that I've always known. But now things have definitely changed. Leader Pein, I do believe that the Akatsuki has fallen."

Once Kisame is done speaking, the camera zooms in on what looks like a dining room type area. There is a long stone table, chairs, and a wide entryway. Congregated around the table are Itachi and Hidan with shopping bags littering the table's surface. The bags are pink and blue with characters that read _"Babies 'R Us"_.

Going through the bags is none other than Itachi Uchiha with his usual stoic expression perfectly in place. Of course, when he starts removing items from bags, his stoic expression means nothing. The seventeen-year-old could stare them down with the mangekyo sharingan and not appear nearly as threatening as normal. Then again, while holding a red footed outfit with black polka dots in one hand and a little red hat with black antennas in the other, it would be hard for anyone to appear at all frightening.

Wide violet eyes observing him in surprise, Hidan says exactly what he's thinking. " ** _{Bleep}_** , Itachi! What the **_{bleep}_** has happened to you?! One moment you're a horrifying Akatsuki member, and the next you're trying to drag me into that girly **_{bleep}_** store _'Babies 'R Us'_!"

"I would hardly classify the shop as girly, Hidan. Babies have fathers the same as mothers. Kazumi is going to be seven months pregnant soon, and your own wife is close to giving birth. If anything, you should be giving more thought to your child and buy her some more functional clothing."

Shooting Itachi a glare, Hidan picks up one of the shopping bags and dumps its contents onto the table. Unlike the contents of Itachi's bags, the articles of clothing aren't at all colorful, neither are there any animal-themed outfits such as the ladybug one bought for Miki. Instead all of the little footed outfits are black, white or gray. Once they're dumped out, Hidan motions to them.

"Hey, don't judge me! I got Imae some functional clothing! It's just basic. At least it's not like the stuff you bought. It looks like a rainbow threw up inside of your shopping bags!"

Shrugging, Itachi picks up the ladybug outfit once more. "What does it matter? I'm having a daughter. If anything, she deserves clothing with some colors. Besides, if Miki looks anything like an Uchiha, this ladybug outfit is going to look very nice on her. Red and black are good colors on us." Pausing he adds under his breath, "Though, I'm still wondering if the butterfly one would be better… If she has Kazumi's coloring, I believe that purple would be better suited…"

Giving an enraged sigh, Hidan dumps several more shopping bags out onto the table. These are obviously Itachi's shopping bags, as these clothes are bright happy shades of yellows, pinks, purples, and multiple other colors. The whole time the Jashinist digs through them while chastising Itachi verbally.

"With all the **_{bleep}_** you got, I don't think missing the butterfly outfit is going to matter. Just look at this **_{bleep}_** , Itachi! It's no wonder the cashier ladies were laughing at you!"

Holding up a yellow button-up-the-front outfit with little pink birds on it, he says, "Really Itachi?" Discarding that one, he picks up one that is purple with blue letters that reads _'Daddy's Girl'_. "I think you're just trying to brainwash the kid with this one."

Placing that one back in the pile, he then picks up a peach-colored one with red letters on the front. Oddly enough, it just so happens to read _'Daddy's Little Artist'_. Upon reading it Hidan quirks a confused brow and looks at the Uchiha questioningly.

"Okay, I have absolutely no idea what the **_{bleep}_** you were thinking with this one. It doesn't even make sense! The last time I checked, you hate art!"

Emotionless expression still on his face, Itachi replies easily. "I really don't like art, no."

Even more confused than before, he asks, "Then why the heck did you get this?!"

As if waiting for his cue, an all too familiar blonde walks into the dining room through the entranceway. As this happens, surprised words come from Kisame as he continues recording.

"What?! Oh, you have to be kidding me."

Oddly enough, this is absolutely not a joke. The moment Deidara walks into the room, the first thing he does is walk over to Hidan and snatch the orange footed outfit out of the immortal's hands. Once he does this, the blonde turns to Itachi and gives him several bills before speaking.

"Thanks for going into that store for me, Itachi, un. I wanted to get this on my own, but I couldn't force myself to go into that girly shop like you and Hidan did."

"It isn't a problem as long as you're willing to pay me back," replies Itachi nonchalantly.

"Good," says Deidara. "Because during the next several months, you're going to have to go inside that store a lot. I'm definitely not going in there, un."

Violet eyes widening, Hidan gapes at the artist in shock. "What?! Why would you have to go into a **_{bleep}_** girly store like _'Babies 'R Us'_?!" After a moment of hesitation, Hidan slaps a palm to his forehead in exasperation. "Oh no! Don't **_{bleep}_** tell me!"

Nobody has the chance to fill in the blank. Then again, they honestly don't need to. At that very moment, Kaminari comes dashing into the room with a big happy smile on her face. Tugging on the sleeve of Deidara's Akatsuki robe, she starts talking a mile a minute.

"Come on, Dei! We need to find Kazumi and Hisa so I can tell them what the doctor said! They're going to be so excited! Maybe more excited than me!" Deidara doesn't have a chance to protest. Less than two seconds later he is dragged from the room by his girlfriend, the girl shouting with glee the whole way out. "Hisa, Kazumi, guess what?! I'm six weeks pregnant! Whoo!"

Once they're gone Itachi doesn't say a word. He simply folds up the clothes that Hidan dumped out and places them back in the shopping bags. Once all of them are back in place, Itachi scoops them up into his arms and prepare to leave the room. On his way out, he speaks to Hidan.

"I would love to stay and talk more about your dislike for children or about _'The Way of Jashin'_ , but I really must go find Kazumi before Kaminari does. If Kaminari gets to her first, then I will never be able to get a word in edgewise."

A mocking expression crossing his face, Hidan gives a laugh. "Talk to Kazumi about what? About trading in one of the purple outfits for a pink one?"

"No," he replies simply. "About the price of breast pumps. We've been considering getting one."

With that being said, the Uchiha walks out. Once he's gone Hidan shakes his head in disbelief. A moment later, however, his eyes widen and he rushes after him.

"Itachi, hold on a minute! Breast pumps aren't expensive, are they?! I need to know whether or not I should let Hisa get one! If I get her one and they're expensive, I could owe Kakuzu money for the rest of my immortal life!"

It's only once the room's empty that Kisame speaks again. Never has the shark man sounded like he's this much in disbelief. "Geesh. When did the Akatsuki go from an organization of S-rank criminals to a home for pregnant youth?"

* * *

 _ **A/N: Well, that's it for now. Again, I've decided to go a whole other direction with this story than I originally planned. At first I planned on having Itachi be the only Akatsuki daddy. It was only going to be him, Kazumi, and Miki with the occasional Akatsuki member popping in on them. I thought about adding other Akatsuki daddies, but decided against it. Only, now, I've decided to go ahead and add other Akatsuki daddies. Why not make things more interesting and give Kazumi and Miki some company? Not only that, but I realized that I can still keep much of the focus on Itachi and Kazumi's family. There will just be others living in the hideout with them. So, hopefully you're pleased with the fact that I've added Akatsuki families besides Itachi's. I feel like giving Hidan and Deidara families will definitely make things more interesting.**_

 _ **Also, as a side note, I hope that having me bleep out Hidan's cuss words doesn't seem too cheesy. The only reason I bleep them is simply because Hidan's cursing bothers me. I still wanted to include Hidan as a character and I wanted him to seem like himself, but at the same time I don't feel comfortable with putting cuss words in my stories. Honestly, I don't even feel comfortable with Deidara and Kaminari not being married! So, as a way to keep the cuss words out of my stories and to still have Hidan be in character, I've decided to simply bleep out the bad words. Hopefully there are some of you who appreciate it. And for those of you that don't like my methods, use your imaginations and fill in the bleeps!**_

 _ **Anyway, that's all for now. Until my next update! :)**_

 _ **Forever and Always,**_

 __ _ **OCQ**_


	6. Chapter 6: The Things They Do Not Know

_**A/N: Yes! It's only been a couple of days, and another chapter is done! I might actually meet my goal of finishing this story before I have to go back to college! Considering how this story is going to be between 10-12 chapters instead of 5-10 like I originally planned it might be a bit difficult, but I still think that I can do this! Right now I'm estimating that there will be approximately four more chapters and an epilogue, but estimations change. So, if any of my estimations change, I will not hesitate to let you know.**_

 _ **For now, enjoy the story, and Merry Christmas! Let me finishing this story be my Christmas present to you! :)**_

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters that I took from the anime. The only characters I own are my OCs._

* * *

 **Chapter Six: The Things They Do Not Know**

"That concludes the first set of videos, Lady Tsunade. I decided to have the first set of videos take place before the births of any of the Akatsuki babies. To be honest, I was originally planning on keeping the information about Deidara's and Hidan's families secret. It was only after talking to Hisa and Kaminari that I changed my mind. They have been just as much a part of mine and Itachi's family as Miki, so I decided to include them. In the end, I wouldn't be able to tell Itachi's story without telling you about the rest of the Akatsuki families too."

For the first time in what feels like ages, Kazumi is on the screen in her present form with four-year-old Miki sitting in her lap. After seeing her joyful smile and the life in her sparkling brown eyes in the home videos, hearing the hollowness in Kazumi's voice and seeing the emptiness in her eyes is nothing but foreign to the Leaf ninjas. Whoever this woman is, she seems like a completely different person from the teenage girl seen in the videos. Of course, based on what she says, they know that this isn't the case. Unable to take their eyes off of this sad and empty woman, they listen as she continues.

"To be completely honest, Lady Tsunade, I didn't include all of the footage that I should have. There was so much more I could have shown you. Miki's first steps, her first words, our first time going to the playground together, the first time we allowed Miki to have a sleepover with Hidan's and Deidara's children… But, as selfish as it is of me, I didn't send those videos. I felt like they were meant for my eyes only, and eventually, for Itachi's children. So, there were a lot of videos that I cut out."

Pausing, Kazumi attempts a smile as she continues speaking. "Even so, I still sent the ones that matter. The videos that you need to see, and the videos that tell the stories of me and Itachi, and of the other Akatsuki families are all there. There aren't as many home videos for the second set as there are for the first set, but there are definitely enough for me to tell you what I need to tell you.

"Hopefully you keep watching, Lady Tsunade, because you haven't seen anything yet."

With that being said, the camera shuts off and the screen cuts to black. The screen stays black for many long seconds, giving several of the room's occupants enough time to get out their thoughts.

"Was that her's and Itachi's daughter that she was holding?" asks Hinata. "Miki looks very similar to Itachi. She doesn't look much like Kazumi at all."

Kiba replies from beside the Hyuga girl. "I know. I was thinking that same thing. If it wasn't for the feminine features, I would almost say that Miki is a tiny clone of Itachi."

A split second of silence passes before someone breaks it. The person who ends the heavy stillness is none other than Lee.

"Having her daughter appear so similar to her husband must be very difficult for Kazumi; especially so soon after Itachi's death." Pausing, he adds, "It makes me sad to see a woman who once appeared so youthful and energetic to be so hollow and full of sadness."

After another brief moment of silence, it is Sakura who voices her thoughts. "I wonder what happened through the years for Itachi's death to take such a toll on her."

* * *

After the current Kazumi introduced the next set of videos, time seemed to fly by to those watching from the screen's other side. One right after another, it seemed like each baby was born. The first baby born was, of course, Hidan's and Hisa's daughter. Kazumi was filming the couple as they walked in through the door, Hidan carrying an incredibly large diaper bag and Hisa carrying a bundle swaddled in white. For once Hidan didn't appear annoyed or angry at being around Hisa while she was awake. Rather, he wore a smile that somehow managed to be both smug and happy.

Also standing in the room were Deidara and Kaminari, Itachi, Kakuzu, Sasori, and Kisame. Like Hidan, the majority of people present to get a first glimpse at Imae wore incredibly smug smiles. The only exceptions were Itachi, who wasn't smiling at all, and Kaminari, who appeared nothing other than excited. Kazumi probably appeared excited too, but due to the fact that she was holding the camera, this was a difficult claim to verify.

The first to speak to Hisa upon getting back from the hospital was, without a doubt, Kaminari. She was jumping up and down and squealing as loudly as ever.

"Yes, yes, yes! You're finally back, Hisa! You're finally back! Now show us baby Imae! Does she have your pretty orange hair and your big eyes?!"

The others in the room didn't hesitate to back Kaminari up in her excitement.

"Yes. Why don't you show us _'Hidan's'_ baby," stated Kakuzu in a deep and skeptical voice.

Leaning in closer to the masked man with the stitches, Kisame whispered, "I would stake Samehada on it that she looks more like Hisa than she does Hidan."

Sounding just as skeptical as the other two, Sasori added, "She probably doesn't look like Hidan at all."

Silver eyes widening, Hisa gaped at all of them with shock. Meanwhile, Hidan spoke out sounding as smug as ever. As frightening as it might sound, he almost sounded…gleeful!

Smirking in Hisa's direction, he said to his wife, "Don't keep them all waiting, Hisa. Move the blanket, and show them all the baby's face; **_my_** baby's face." Turning to face the camera, he demanded, "Hey, Kazumi, get over here and make sure you get Imae's face on camera, and then turn it toward Kakuzu and the trio of doubters. I want to remember this moment for years to come."

"Okay," replied the girl from behind the camera. "Whatever you say."

Kazumi moved closer to the couple by several feet, the camera pointed at the newborn the whole time. Only when she was standing at an extremely close proximity to them did Hisa make a move to rearrange the blanket so that they could see the baby's face. As she performed the action not once did Hidan's smirk fade; especially not while addressing the men on the other side of the room.

"Take a good long look at her!"

The moment the blanket was pulled down, Kakuzu, Sasori, Kisame, and Deidara all gasped in unison. Kaminari made noises as well, but her's were squeals of delight. Upon speaking, the majority of the men in the room simply glared at her.

"Ooh, she's so cute! She has Hisa's nose, but besides that she looks exactly like you, Hidan!"

Certainly enough, Kaminari wasn't exaggerating. To Hidan's luck the baby just so happened to be awake, greeting the room with wide violet eyes. Of course, even if she was sleeping it still would have been quite apparent that the tiny newborn was indeed Hidan's baby. Atop her head was a shock of soft silver hair along with a chin and mouth that were very similar in shape to Hidan's. When Kazumi pointed the camera away from the baby and to the rest of the room, most people were staring in disbelief.

As the people in both the Akatsuki hideout and the Hokage's office looked back and forth from Imae to Hidan and back again, the Jashinist responded to Kaminari's comment.

"You're **_{bleep}_** right that she looks like me! Silver hair, violet eyes, Imae is daddy's girl! You should have heard the way she was crying at the hospital, too. That was _angry_ crying! It ends out that she also has my temper! Imae is a Jashinist in the making!"

Nobody could tell for sure, but it looked like Kakuzu went without blinking for two straight minutes. "Well…it looks like you aren't exaggerating for once. Imae really does look like you…"

"I hope that nobody took me seriously," said Kisame slowly. "I would never actually stake Samehada on anything."

After that video ended, the arrival of baby Miki came very shortly after. Apparently the present Kazumi wasn't lying when she said that there were some very special videos that she cut out, because it didn't show any footage of her at nine months pregnant or of her shortly before the birth. The next time the camera turned on, Kazumi was in a white hospital room that was flawlessly clean. She was sitting in a hospital bed with sweat on her face and brown hair askew. Fatigue was written on her face and she looked exhausted, but she also appeared happy. Standing next to her was, of course, Itachi. For once he wasn't wearing his Akatsuki cloak. Instead he was wearing what looked like hospital garbs, making it known that he definitely played a part in delivering his daughter.

Apparently a nurse was the one holding the camera, because a very uncertain female voice that sounded to be middle aged was what spoke next.

"Am I holding this thing right? Is it on?"

Giving a wide happy smile, Kazumi nodded eagerly. "Don't worry. It's on, and you're holding it just fine. Everything's perfect!" Pausing, she asked, "Now can we see our baby?!"

The nurse gave a chuckle. "Sure. You can see her."

With that being said, another nurse walked into the frame with a little white bundle in her arms. Bending over slightly, she carefully handed the baby over to Kazumi. Once she was securely in her mother's arms the nurse walked off camera, leaving Itachi and Kazumi to stare at the baby lovingly. Kazumi moved over by a few inches, giving Itachi enough room to sit on the edge of the hospital bed. As he sat down Itachi put an arm around his wife and pulled her closer, using the index finger of his other hand to gently touch Miki's cheek.

"I'm still in disbelief about how small she is. To think, this tiny little infant could grow up to be the powerful kunoichi that rewrites history for our clan." Pausing, he smiled at his daughter kindly. "You are a truly beautiful little girl, Miki. I am proud to call you my daughter."

Giving an equally tender smile, Kazumi spoke as well. "Even if you don't look a thing like me, I'm equally proud to call you my daughter. You'll be the beauty of the Uchiha clan when you get older Miki." To her husband, she said with a happy chuckle, "She really does look exactly like you, Itachi. The father-daughter resemblance is unbelievable."

Smile growing, Itachi replied to his wife. "Even if she doesn't look much like you, I'm sure that Miki is going to have your personality. I can already tell that she's going to be very happy and giggly; just like you, I'm certain."

Kazumi gave another chuckle. "Maybe. It's kind of hard to tell right now. First we have to get through those sleepless nights where she's going to cry endlessly."

It is here that Itachi's smile fades slightly. "Hopefully she's not as fussy as Imae. I don't think I've ever seen Hidan angrier and more unstable then he's been recently. He even went back the main hideout for a week just to sleep…"

"Oh really?" said the sixteen-year-old in surprise. "Wow. I didn't even notice that he was gone."

"Probably because you've been so busy helping Hisa with Imae," Itachi replied with a sigh. "Honestly, I wish that he would come back to the hideout to help his wife. If he was more stable and less of a danger to humanity, I would probably do something to force him…"

Shrugging, Kazumi's smile returned. "Don't do anything like that, Itachi. We still have Kaminari around to help us, and you've been granted three months with no missions. So we can handle it." Pausing, she added softly, "We had an agreement on our wedding day. Bring on the rain. Remember?"

Pulling his wife closer, Itachi kissed her sweetly atop the head. "Yes. I remember. And I'm just as willing to take on the challenges now as I was then."

Once that was said, the video ended. Because of the fact that Kaminari wasn't due to give birth until five months after Miki's arrival, it didn't show her's and Deidara's child right away. Instead it cut to a scene that took place inside of Miki Uchiha's completed nursery not too long after her birth. With trees, vines, and animals such as monkeys, parakeets, and snakes, the walls painted by Itachi and Kazumi looked fantastic. With a beautiful white crib bearing the symbols for the Uchiha clan on each of the headboards, along with a mobile containing painted metal Uchiha symbols as well as various shapes, the crib was also very beautiful.

Of course, the focus of what Kazumi was filming wasn't on Miki's crib or on the nursery's walls. Rather, it was on Itachi who was sitting in a wooden rocking chair and slowly rocking the baby. In this video she wasn't swaddled, but was instead wearing a light pink footed outfit that appeared to be made out of soft material. With the angle of the camera, a head of soft black hair was clearly seen, as were pudgy little hands and a pale face with a bit of a pinkish cast. Miki's onyx eyes would have been showing, but due to the fact that she was flailing her little arms and crying loudly, this wasn't possible.

As she cried, Itachi continued rocking her gently and tried soothing her. At first he talked to her quietly in a sweet voice, then he tried feeding her a bottle which she denied, and eventually he gave up and did something that nobody quite expected. Even if he has proven to be human, not to mention a human that knows how to love, to all of the Leaf shinobi he is still Itachi Uchiha. It is because of this that his next actions were more than a tad shocking. Since nothing else seemed to work, the murderous Akatsuki member started to sing to the baby. Sure he was still wearing his Akatsuki cloak which symbolized his status as an incredibly dangerous criminal, but still he sang. More surprising still was that his singing voice was pretty good and amazingly soothing.

In a warm and gentle voice, he sang, "Hush dear child, don't you cry. Father is going to sing you a lullaby. Hush dear child, don't feel alarm. Father will hold you safely in his arms. As long as it is you and I, Father will protect you, so please don't cry. Father loves you, yes he does. So please go to sleep, and trust in him."

Itachi sang this verse several times, looking down at Miki lovingly. Admittedly, he did appear a bit fatigued, but he appeared pleased while holding his daughter nonetheless. Really, the Leaf ninjas didn't think that they'd ever seen a man who looked more content.

It took several long minutes of Itachi singing, but eventually Miki stopped crying and she went to sleep. Once she was asleep, the adolescent boy didn't put the infant back in her crib right away. Instead he continued holding her, watching as the baby Uchiha slept peacefully in his arms. He spoke to the baby as she slept, but not loudly. His words were so low that they were just above a whisper.

"I'm glad that one verse is all it took to get you to sleep. There was more to the song, but sadly, I never learned the rest of it. I wish I would have asked your grandmother about it. She probably knew. She was the one I learned it from, after all. She sang it to me every night when I was an infant, and then she sang it to your Uncle Sasuke after he was born."

With that being said, Itachi stood from the rocking chair and sauntered over to the side of Miki's crib. Once there, he placed her into it gently and covered her up with a small black blanket. Sewn into the front of the blanket was, of course, the Uchiha symbol. After covering her up, Itachi stood next to the crib for several minutes while watching his daughter sleep. Meanwhile, he spoke once more.

"You're going to be curious about your Uncle Sasuke when you get older, aren't you, Miki? If you're anything like your mother, then you will definitely be the curious type. Even after I told her the story of what I had to do to our clan, she still keeps begging me to take her to see Sasuke. She doesn't care if she speaks to him, or if we're watching him in secret. All your mother wants is to see him. If your grandparents were alive, your mother would want to see them too."

After a moment of hesitation, Itachi continued. "Then again, if they were alive, they would be just as interested in meeting the two of you. My mother and father definitely would not be happy that I got married and had a child at seventeen, but they would still love you. There's not a doubt in my mind that they would love you. Even after everything I've done, my parents still showed me love on their last night. So why wouldn't they love you?"

There was an incredibly long moment of silence after that, the baby sleeping and Itachi not speaking. His onyx eyes were deep and filled with regret, as if he was flashing back to the past inside of his mind. When he opened his mouth once more, it was learned that this was exactly the case.

"If the clan was still around, your life would be very different, baby Uchiha. You don't know how often I wish that there would have been another solution. If there would have been another way, your mother and I could make your life so much better. I'm sorry for the burden that's been placed on you because of our clan's bad history with the Hidden Leaf Village and because of me, baby Uchiha."

It was only here that Kazumi spoke. Before this the woman had been hiding, filming everything in secret. Of course, being Kazumi, it was plain that she could never keep herself hidden for too long.

"I never want to hear those words leave your mouth again, Itachi. Blame your clan, blame the people in charge of the Hidden Leaf Village, blame fate, but **_never_** blame yourself. The situation was out of your hands from day one, Itachi. There was never anything you could do to stop it."

Apparently the conversation between them was one that got far too intense for the camera, because directly after her words the screen cut to black. For once, Naruto wasn't the only one in the dark. Not a single person in the room had any idea at all what Kazumi was talking about. Even so, the nine tails jinjurichi didn't hesitate to see if anyone else knew.

"Out of his hands? What was Kazumi talking about?" Leaning out slightly, Naruto looked toward the fifth Hokage. "Granny Tsunade, do you know what Kazumi meant by all that stuff she said?"

A mixture of puzzlement, curiosity, and direness filled Lady Tsunade's large brown eyes as she replied to him. "Other than the fact that what they're saying must have something to do with the night of the Uchiha clan's annihilation, I have no idea at all what Kazumi and Itachi are talking about." Pausing, she added, "Of course, Hiruzen Sarutobi was the Hokage back then; not me. So whatever it is Kazumi was referring to with _'the people in charge of the Hidden Leaf Village'_ , I wouldn't know about it."

Kakashi's single gray eye widened at Tsunade's words. "Lady Tsunade, you aren't actually suggesting that there was something else behind the Uchiha clan's destruction, are you? It seems like Danzo and the village elders would have informed you of anything else that actually went on."

Expression growing direr and more curious by the moment, Tsunade replied to the copy ninja. "If there were other factors that played into the Uchiha's destruction, I highly doubt that Danzo and the elders would tell me anything. There are a lot of things that they probably don't tell me."

From the wall's other end, Shikamaru added, "Yeah, but what if there isn't anything to tell? Sure these home videos are giving us a lot of insight, and maybe they're even valid, but in the end Itachi still killed his clan. It was a solo act of violence and destruction. Why would the Leaf Village be involved with something like that?"

It wasn't Tsunade who answered Shikamaru's question. Instead, it was Naruto Uzumaki. This time he didn't look at all confused concerning what Kazumi was talking about. In fact, his deep blue orbs showed a better understanding of the situation than anyone else. He didn't plead his case using words alone, either. Rather, he got up on his knees and reached for the portable DVD player. A second passed and those surrounding him wondered what it is he was supposed to be doing. However, when he paused, rewound by a couple of minutes, and pressed play, everyone began to understand the point he was trying to make.

"A solo act of violence and destruction, huh? I'm not trying to sound like I'm gullible, but ever since we started watching Kazumi's home videos Itachi doesn't strike me as the type of person who would destroy _anything_ without a reason. Someone who's violent and unstable would never do this."

Naruto motioned to the screen, where it showed Itachi rocking baby Miki and singing to her once again. That time when he sang, the majority of people in the room looked away. Nobody was entirely certain about why they did this, either. For some reason, watching Itachi sing to his baby and seeing the love in his eyes a second time was almost too much to bear.

 _"Hush dear child, don't you cry. Father is going to sing you a lullaby. Hush dear child, don't feel alarm. Father will hold you safely in his arms. As long as it is you and I, Father will protect you, so please don't cry. Father loves you, yes he does. So please go to sleep, and trust in him."_

"I don't know about everyone else," said Naruto once the lullaby had concluded, "but maybe Itachi isn't the violent maniac that we thought. For all we know, there could be a whole other side to the destruction of the Uchiha clan that we know nothing about."

* * *

The group of Hidden Leaf shinobi continued to watch Kazumi's home videos in silence. Honestly, after reaching the second set of videos, time in the Akatsuki hideout seemed to pass by a lot more quickly. Besides a video where Kazumi talked Hisa into dressing up their babies and taking them to town for the day and a video where Itachi and Kazumi were trying to feed a five-month-old Miki green bean baby food, not much happened between Itachi rocking Miki and Kaminari giving birth to her's and Deidara's child. After a long time watching, this is where they're at right now.

"How the **_{bleep}_** is Deidara the one with the boy?! Just look at him! The first time I saw him, I thought he was a **_{bleep}_** girl!"

Deidara and Kaminari stand side-by-side, luggage from the hospital sitting at their feet and a tiny bundle swaddled in white being held lovingly in Kaminari's arms. Also occupying the newest Akatsuki baby's nursery are Itachi who is holding five-month-old Miki, Hidan who is holding seven-month-old Imae in one arm, Hisa who is standing unbearably close to Hidan, and Kazumi who is filming the exchange. The nursery walls are painted the colors of oranges, yellows, and reds, appearing similar to Deidara's explosions. Honestly, with the expression on Deidara's face as he replies to Hidan's remark, the paintings on the walls fit the context of the situation quite nicely.

"For the last time, I look nothing like a girl, un! I am completely male! If the bulging stomach that Kaminari had for the past five months wasn't enough, then look at Isi! Those are my eyes, un!"

After the artist speaks, Kazumi zooms in on the newborn. While the baby boy, Isi, has Kaminari's dark hair, it isn't a lie that his eyes are blue like Deidara's. Not only that, but Isi's nose and his chin are very similar to Deidara's as well. Besides those features, however, Isi looks entirely like his mother. Meanwhile, Kaminari works to back up her boyfriend.

"Dei's right, Hidan. He's definitely a guy. He just has long pretty hair that he likes to wear in a half ponytail instead of at the nape of his neck like other guys."

The girl's comment earns an irritated scowl from the blonde bomber along with a groan. The whole time Hidan, Hisa, and Kazumi can be heard laughing. Even Itachi gives an amused smirk. The only person not laughing is Kaminari, who is busy readjusting Isi in her arms. As they all laugh Deidara snaps at his girlfriend while working to defend himself.

"I don't have to wear it like everyone else, un! The way I wear it is more artistic!" Turning to face Kaminari, he snarls, "You're supposed to be on my side, un! You're not helping!"

"I wasn't trying to help," the girl replies honestly. "I was being realistic."

Deidara releases another groan of irritation. "Kaminari, why, un?!"

After the bomber speaks the video ends, leaving several of the viewing Leaf shinobi chuckling and the rest of them staring blankly. A few seconds later another video starts. This one takes place inside of the dining room, the two older Akatsuki babies sitting in highchairs and the other one being fed a bottle by the blonde bomber. Sitting in front of Miki's highchair is Itachi, and in front of Imae's is Hidan. By now the babies look like they're getting a bit older, Imae about nine months old, Miki around seven months, and the tiny baby Isi at two months. The one filming the men, unsurprisingly, is Kazumi.

Turning the camera, Kazumi focuses in on Deidara. Nobody would have expected this from a psychopathic terrorist, but he's actually smiling as he's feeding his son. Isi grasps Deidara's finger and makes an occasional squeal or gurgling noise, forcing the otherwise moody blonde to grin happily.

"You're a hungry little guy, aren't you, Isi? You're going to grow up to be strong and masculine like your daddy, aren't you?"

Though he isn't in the shot, Hidan can be heard scoffing. "Ha! I doubt that!" he exclaims.

Smile fading, Deidara looks up and glares at the Jashinist who's in another part of the room. "Shut up and feed your kid! At least I'm not ignoring him like you do yours, un!"

Once that is said, Kazumi strays away from Deidara and points the camera at Itachi. The Uchiha man sits in front of the highchair with a tiny bowl of orange-colored baby food in his hand. In his other hand is a baby-sized spoon containing some of the mushy orange substance, which Itachi shoves in the direction of Miki's mouth. As he does this, he tries convincing her to eat it by talking to her gently.

"Come on, Miki. Eat some of your peaches. You like your peaches, don't you? You ate them very well for father yesterday."

Giggling, Kazumi speaks to her husband from behind the camera. "She'll only eat when you do the train for her, Itachi. And by that, I mean that it has to be you specifically. I've tried doing it several times and it never works. She'll only eat for me when I do the plane."

Onyx eyes filling with surprise, Itachi turns to face his wife. "You're telling me that she isn't going to eat unless I make noises? But every other time I've fed her, she's eaten."

The girl releases another giggle. "That's because every other time you've fed her you always made noises. This is the first time you're not doing that."

Again, Hidan laughs from off camera. "You make funny noises every time you feed her? Are you **_{bleep}_** serious?! I thought you were supposed to be Itachi Uchiha!"

Onyx eyes narrowing into a glare, Itachi looks at the unseen Jashinist. "I am Itachi Uchiha, and I also have the Mangekyo sharingan. If you don't want me to use it on you, then I suggest you feed your daughter. This is the first time in months you've volunteered to do anything for her."

Though Kazumi still hasn't pointed the camera at him, irritation is heard in Hidan's voice as he speaks. "I know, so that's why I told Hisa I'd feed her lunch. Hisa feeds her every day, so it can't be that hard. I'm sure it'll be easy."

Itachi doesn't give much of a response. All he does is shrug. "Okay, then. Whatever you say."

Once that is said, he turns back to Miki. Putting the spoon up to her mouth, he makes another attempt to coax his daughter into eating her lunch. Sadly, whenever he approaches her with the spoon, she faces away from him and gives him a stubborn pout. Growing frustrated, Itachi speaks to her.

"Aren't you hungry, Miki? You must want your peaches. The last time you ate was several hours ago. Most human beings would be hungry by now."

Kazumi has gone from soft giggles to laughing openly. "She's seven months old, Itachi. Reasoning with her isn't going to work. If you want her to eat, you're going to have to do the train."

Sighing, he looks at her once more. "Can you at least turn off the camera?"

In between laughs she answers, "No. I'm not turning off this camera even if you pay me. One day Miki is going to want to see this."

Frowning, he answers, "Okay, then, if you insist. I don't think that I can lose much more of my masculinity anyway." Pulling the spoon back from her mouth, he faces Miki with a smile. Meanwhile, he talks in a high-pitched voice and makes train noises. "Okay, Miki, here comes the train! Choo choo!"

It ends out that Kazumi wasn't exaggerating even a little bit. The moment Itachi starts making the train noises the baby willingly opens her mouth and eats the peaches. Of course, the powerful Uchiha doesn't have much time to celebrate. Less than a second is all it takes for Hidan and Deidara to start guffawing with laughter from their sections of the room.

"Oh, **_{bleep}_**! Kazumi wasn't lying after all! You seriously do make those **_{bleep}_** noises every time you feed her!"

"Suddenly, you don't seem nearly as terrifying as before, un! I wonder if Leader Pein would be tempted to kick you out of the Akatsuki if he could hear you!"

Looking coldly at each of the men, he replies, "In that case, I would like to see you try feeding your children without taking creative measures. It isn't as easy as it sounds."

After Itachi says that, Kazumi turns the camera toward Hidan. He is sitting in front of Imae's highchair holding a tiny bowl of green-colored baby food. Smirking smugly at the Uchiha, he replies without hesitation.

"I think you're just making excuses. Feeding a baby can't be that hard. If the baby's hungry, then she's going to eat." Turning toward Imae holding a tiny spoon filled with the green substance, he speaks to her bluntly. "Come on, baby girl, I know you're hungry. Eat up."

Surprisingly, Imae doesn't turn her face away and pout stubbornly like Miki had done. Instead she outstretches one of her small arms and hits the spoon out of Hidan's hand. She hits it so hard that it's sent flying across the room. Imae doesn't appear angry as she does this either. Rather, she smiles in what appears to be amusement. What she doesn't realize is that her daddy is much less amused.

"Hey, I'm trying to feed you so you don't have to go hungry! I could be out sacrificing all of the **_{bleep}_** sinners to Jashin, and instead I chose to stay here and give you lunch! What do you have to say to that?!"

Imae quirks her brow and stares at her father for a moment. Then, releasing a giggle, she slams her fists down on the highchair tray where Hidan temporarily sat the bowl of green baby food. A second later the bowl goes flying, hitting Hidan directly in the center of the face. He doesn't move, neither does he say anything. The Jashinist simply stares at his daughter in disbelief as Deidara and Kazumi are heard chuckling in the background. Itachi isn't seen, but nobody doubts that he's probably smirking.

The only time the expression of shock dissipates is when Imae releases another giggle and blows her daddy the raspberry, her violet eyes sparkling with amusement. When Hidan comes out of his state of shock he doesn't necessarily appear angry. Rather, he appears contemplative.

"I didn't give you what you want, and you toss the spoon across the room. Then I try arguing with you, and you fling food in my face." Pausing, he gives the baby a smug smile that also seems proud at the same time. "You're definitely my daughter, aren't you, baby girl? It's like I said before. You're a Jashinist in the making!"

Once that is said the video ends and the screen cuts to black. Like many times before, nobody speaks. They simply keep their eyes on the screen, addicted to the secret lives of the Akatsuki members before them. The whole time each and every one of them wonders what new secrets will be uncovered. Even if this theory is only based on one video that Kazumi recorded, and even if it's a bit of a stretch, they can't help but feel that there is something big that they don't know about. Not only that, but they know that whatever it is, Kazumi Uchiha is going to tell them.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Okay, that is it for now, folks. I will try to have the next chapter up by Sunday at the latest, but there are no promises. I have a lot of Christmas stuff to do at the church and with my family, so I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get it up before then. Nonetheless, I will give it my very best effort. Mark my words! I will get this done before I have to go back to college! It is my dream!**_

 _ **Also, I would appreciate some feedback on this story. I have been getting follows and favorites, but very few reviews. I would like to know what you think. Is the story going well? Am I taking anybody too out of character? Is there anything I should work on? Please review! I would greatly appreciate some feedback! :)**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 ** _OCQ_**


	7. Chapter 7: All Types of Fathers

**_A/N: I planned to update on Sunday evening, and instead I'm posting this chapter at eleven thirty pm on a Saturday night! I'm staying ahead of the game! If I put a lot of effort into it, maybe I can update again by Monday or Tuesday! Anyway, here's Chapter Seven of "The Hidden Truth". Miki, Imae, and Isi are growing up so fast! Hopefully you enjoy seeing the Akatsuki babies grow up. I know I do! I enjoy writing baby stories so much! It gives my life joy. Hope you enjoy the chapter! :)_**

 ** _Also, a quick shout out to_ Stormsandskieslover: _Thank you so much for reviewing! I really appreciate it! Also, relating to your comment about Sasuke, I will most likely let you see his reaction to Itachi's family in the future. Remember, I will be adding an epilogue. *Hint hint ;)* Anyway, I'm glad that you like my story, as I have put a lot of work into it. Hope you stick around for more :)._**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I only own my OCs._

* * *

 **Chapter Seven: All Types of Fathers**

"Where the heck is Choji? He's been gone for almost forty-five minutes and I'm starting to get worried!" exclaims Ino in frustration.

"You don't think he got stopped by the anbu or something, do you?" asks Kiba in concern.

A long while has passed, video after video playing on the screen. They've seen the babies grow from newborn infants to approximately one year of age. Or, more specifically, they've witnessed Imae's one-year-old birthday party, saw Miki celebrate her's two months later, and have seen Isi grow old enough to make it to the baby food stage. At some point during Imae's birthday, while Hidan and Hisa were arguing over whether to get vanilla cake or chocolate, Choji walked out of Tsunade's office without warning or reason. He's been gone for a while now, causing enough concern to force Sakura to pause the video. Right now they are currently discussing the Akimichi's absence.

"I highly doubt that the anbu black ops would stop Choji for anything," states Neji bluntly. "He doesn't necessarily seem menacing, and there isn't exactly an evil look in his eye."

Concern filling his eyes, Kiba responds yet again. "Yeah, I know, but he's been gone for a while."

From a few spaces away Tenten adds, "Why did Choji leave, anyway?"

As if waiting for his cue, that's when the door to the Hokage's office comes open. A second later in walks Choji, bags of chips filling his arms to the maximum. Somehow, even with the load he's carrying, he still manages to close the door behind him. Once the door is shut securely, he speaks cheerfully.

"Hi, guys. Sorry if I'm interrupting anything. With the amount of time these home videos are taking, I just thought that maybe we could use some snacks. I only had half a bag of chips earlier and those were gone long before Team Gai and Team Kurenai showed up." Pausing, he walks over to Tsunade's desk and sets down the pile of chip bags before continuing. "You can fill me in on what I missed later. For now, let's keep watching."

The group of adolescents as well as the adults in the room exchange surprised glances. As expected, it doesn't take long for Kiba and Naruto to become excited and to delve into the chips.

"Alright! Thanks, Choji! You're the best!" Naruto exclaims happily.

"Hands off the sour cream and onion! They're mine!" shouts Kiba.

From here there is no speaking and no worrying. Sakura leans forward and presses play, everyone's attention going back to Kazumi's home videos. When the screen unfreezes, Hidan is seen sitting on the sofa in the Akatsuki's living room holding a fourteen-month-old Imae. The Jashinist holds his daughter under the arms so that she's in a standing position and so that she's facing him. Imae has definitely grown, her silver hair being long enough so that it brushes just past her shoulders and her body appearing strong enough so that she can most likely walk on her own. Or, due to her young age, "walking" would most likely be toddling. Also, based on the black outfit she wears with a white Jashin symbol on the front, it's blatantly obvious who has been spending the day with her.

Meanwhile, Hidan speaks to the tiny tot. "Okay, baby girl, I want you to say it. I've heard you say _'mama'_ and I've heard you say _'dada'_ , so I know you can say this." Pausing, he exaggerates each syllable. "Ja-sheen. Say it, baby girl. Say _'Jashin'_."

Kazumi, who is undoubtedly the one filming, gives an irritated sigh. "Give it up, Hidan. No matter how much you try, Imae is never going to say _'Jashin'_. While we're on the subject, you should probably put her back in the purple outfit that Hisa dressed her in this morning too. If she comes back here and sees her child wearing the Jashin symbol, your wife won't be happy."

Turning away from the toddler, they watch as Hidan shoots Kazumi a glare. "It doesn't **_{bleep}_** matter what Hisa says. Imae is going to be a Jashinist whether she likes it or not! And she's going to say _'Jashin'_ too! Today is the day, so shut up and keep filming! When my baby girl acknowledges Jashin for the first time, I want it on camera!"

Kazumi gives another sigh, sounding more annoyed with the Jashinist than before. "Fine, I'll keep filming. Just don't say that I've never done you any favors."

With that being said, Kazumi goes silent and the Jashinist continues speaking. The whole time he speaks he uses his words to coax Imae into saying what he desires.

"Ja-sheen. Are you hearing me, Imae? Ja-sheen. _Jashin_."

Purple eyes filling with confusion, the child speaks. Though it isn't what Hidan is hoping to hear.

"Dada," says Imae. A second later she repeats herself. "Dada."

Hidan's own purple eyes growing irritated, he replies, "No! Not 'dada'! Jashin! Say 'Jashin'! Please? Say _'Jashin'_ for dada."

Several seconds pass, Hidan, Imae, and Kazumi not saying anything. Then, a moment later, it finally happens. The child speaks, but this time she doesn't say _'dada'_.

Opening her mouth, she says clearly in baby babble, "Ja-seen."

Eyes widening in disbelief, Hidan asks, "What did you say, baby girl? Say that again for dada."

Looking her father in the eyes, she repeats the word. "Ja-seen."

It is here that a wide happy grin crosses Hidan's face. Laughing like a maniac, the man jumps up from his seat, throws his daughter up in the air, catches her, and gives her a hug. Honestly, the sight is so out of character for someone like Hidan that it is almost disturbing. The idea of him hugging anyone, even his child, is already far-fetched; the thought of him embracing someone while actually feeling happy about it literally seems impossible. Of course, when they hear what he says to Imae as he hugs her, everyone in the room is instantly reminded that person is indeed still Hidan.

"Yes! You said it! You finally said it, baby girl! This is the first time I've ever felt proud!" After a moment of insane laughter, he looks his child in the eye. "Imae, you are officially on the road to becoming a Jashinist! Today you speak Lord Jashin's name, tomorrow you'll be performing your very first human sacrifice and drawing the Jashinist symbol in blood while reciting Jashin's prayer!"

Kazumi speaks from behind the camera again, this time sounding very disturbed. "Hidan, I mean you no offense, but that is honestly the creepiest thing I've ever heard someone say to a small child."

The silver-haired man turns to face Kazumi, an expression of offense washing over his features. "Hey, don't be so judgmental, Kazumi! We're experiencing a family moment between Jashinists! You wouldn't **_{bleep}_** understand what I'm talking about." Looking down at Imae, he says, "You're going to be a Jashinist, too. Aren't you, baby girl? You tell this **_{bleep}_** sinner what you think!"

Imae doesn't look at Kazumi, but at her father. Amazingly enough, the baby's expression is one that actually appears very serious. To the people watching, it would almost seem as though the tiny girl means what she's saying.

Opening her mouth, the toddler says clearly in baby talk, "Ja-seen bad."

Hidan's eyes widen in surprise upon hearing those words. Meanwhile, they can hear as Kazumi does her best to stifle chuckles as she continues recording.

Violet eyes staring the baby down, he asks, "What did you just say?!"

Without hesitation, the tiny girl says it again. "Ja-seen bad."

If there's one thing the Leaf ninjas can say, it's that the expression on the fanatic's face is completely priceless. The very sight of him is enough to earn chuckles out of several of the people viewing. Out of all the previous videos, never has Hidan looked so stunned. At last, after regaining his composure, he speaks to the baby again.

"Jashin's bad?! Who the **_{bleep}_** told you that Jashin's bad?!"

In an exasperated tone, Kazumi says, "If you're going to try interrogating your fourteen-month-old child, than you're out of your mind. There is absolutely no way that Imae is going to answer that!"

Apparently Kazumi's words came too soon. As if the universe is against her, it is right then that Imae replies to her father. Even with her baby babble, what she stays is still understandable.

"Unca 'tachi."

"Hold on," says Kazumi sounding surprised. "What did she just say?!"

Glaring at her from in front of the camera, Hidan replies with a snarl. "Gee, I don't know, but it almost sounds like she said _'Uncle Itachi'_." Looking at Imae, he asks, "Is that what you said, baby girl? Did you say _'Uncle Itachi'_?"

The toddler doesn't answer verbally. Instead she nods her head "yes", looking at her father wide-eyed. Once she does this, Hidan sets her down on the couch and heads for the living room's exit. It is clear by the violent thudding of his footsteps that the man is far from happy.

Nervousness ringing through her voice, Kazumi asks, "Uh…Hidan? Where are you off to?"

"To find Itachi. He and Kisame didn't leave too long ago. I should be able to catch up with them," he replies with his back turned. Then he adds, "I need to talk to him about the sacred religion of the Way of Jashin."

Nervousness never leaving, she inquires once more. "Do you plan on going to your room and getting your scythe?"

"Yeah. Why the **_{bleep}_** wouldn't I?"

Less than a second is what it takes for Kazumi to yell to the top of her lungs. Her voice is so loud, that there isn't any doubt that the entire hideout can hear her.

"Kaminari, quick! Grab Hidan's scythe and hide it! Use the same hiding place as last time! He was never able to find it!"

Quickening his walk to a run, he shouts out in panic. "What?! No! I can't pay Kaminari to give it back to me again! I don't have enough **_{bleep}_** money!"

"Go as fast as you can, Kaminari! He's on the move!"

An echoing voice replies to Kazumi from another part of the hideout. "Don't worry, Kazumi! I've got this covered!"

Upon hearing her voice, Hidan groans in frustration. "No! This isn't fair! Kaminari's already on the other side of the hideout!"

It is here that Kazumi shuts off the camera, the screen cutting to black. A short moment passes, the only sounds being the crumpling of chip bags and the crunching of snack foods before the next video starts. When the screen lights up, Hidan isn't anywhere in sight and neither is the branch hideout's living room. Instead it is Miki's jungle-themed nursery that appears.

Sitting in the wooden rocking chair is Itachi, now appearing to be about eighteen years old. Curled up in his lap wearing bright red footed pajamas with little white hearts is a one-year-old Miki. She clings onto his Akatsuki cloak and nuzzles into his chest, releasing the occasional yawn as Itachi reads her a bedtime story. Based on the bright happy cover and on the words being read, this book is definitely one that's meant for small children.

"This animal says 'meow' and chases balls of yarn all around. This animal is called a 'kitty'." Flipping the page once his daughter has looked at it, he continues. "This animal likes to bark, and plays fetch with people at the park. This animal is called a 'doggy'."

If it wasn't apparent that Kazumi was the person filming before, then it is a moment later when she speaks. "When are we going to get to the part with the birdy? That part is always the most exciting!"

Amusement flickering in his onyx eyes, Itachi replies in a joking yet serious fashion. "Personally, I always find the part of the story with the fish in the pond the most attention grasping. Of course, I don't think that it matters much anymore either way." Motioning to Miki with a nod of his head, he explains, "Our baby Uchiha has fallen asleep."

The camera turns at an odd angle for a moment. Based on the way it's moving, Kazumi is placing it on a dresser or a changing table. Once the camera is still, it shows Itachi holding a sleeping Miki in his arms, the book placed in a small basket beside the rocking chair. A second later Kazumi walks onto the screen, her long brown hair hanging down around her shoulder for once instead of being tied back into a ponytail. Like Itachi she looks remarkably older, most likely seventeen instead of sixteen. Kneeling down beside the rocking chair, she runs a small hand over Miki's short black hair. By the way they're both acting it's as if they've forgotten that the camera is even there.

"Oh yeah, our little girl is tired, isn't she? It's probably about time to put her in her crib."

"It's amazing how long she's stayed awake tonight," Itachi replies sounding a tad bit surprised. "Usually she falls asleep during the second book. Getting a chance to read her a third book is very rare."

Smiling, the girl speaks to her husband again. "She always stays awake for you, Itachi; especially after you've been gone on a mission for three days. Miki loves her daddy very much."

Once that last sentence is said, Kazumi bends over and gives Itachi a kiss on the cheek. Returning her smile, Itachi stretches his neck upward and kisses Kazumi on the mouth. After that the two stare down at their sleeping daughter in silence. By the expressions on their faces, it's plain that they couldn't be happier with this beautiful little being they've created. It takes a while, but at last, Itachi speaks again.

"Leader Pein has granted me a week without missions. Why don't we use tomorrow afternoon to take Miki to the park? She really enjoyed it the last time we took her there. Maybe we could take her to the beach, too. There is a small pond not too far away from the hideout."

Smiling, Kazumi nods eagerly. "Okay, sure. It sounds fun! Miki will love it!"

"Okay, good. Then our schedule for the week is decided."

With that being said, Itachi scoops Miki into his arms and carries her over to her crib. By now she appears thoroughly passed out, tiny arms wrapped around her father's neck. When he tries lowering her into the crib, however, Miki hangs on tightly. He tries placing her into the crib several more times, but oddly, the little Uchiha never releases him. It's only when she speaks that they realize that her efforts are conscious.

"Dada," Miki whines in tired protests. "Want dada."

Onyx eyes widening in surprise, Itachi looks over at Kazumi. The brown-haired girl doesn't respond verbally. Appearing equally surprised, she shrugs.

"Kazumi," he suggests in a whisper, "maybe we should let her sleep with us tonight. We've done that before."

Kazumi nods. "Good call. Let's bring her back to our room. She might sleep better that way."

Nodding in agreement, the duo heads in the direction of the nursery's exit. Before leaving, however, Itachi nods in the camera's direction.

"Kazumi, your camera is still in here. And I think that you left it on again."

Brown eyes filling with surprise, she shoots her gaze in the camera's direction. A moment later she sprints toward it.

"Oh crap, you're right! I really have to quit doing that!"

A few seconds is all it takes for the screen to turn to black. When the camera turns back on the people on the screen are, of course, Itachi and Kazumi. In between them is Miki, who is wearing a yellow full piece bathing suit with pink ruffles and a pink butterfly in the center. For once Itachi isn't wearing his Akatsuki cloak. Really, he isn't even wearing a shirt. The only thing he wears is black swim trunks, his pale skin finally seeing the light of day. Also for once, his full black ponytail can be seen running the length of his back in its full glory. Kazumi is also more revealed than usual, but not nearly as much as other females. Instead of something small like a bikini, she wears a very tasteful red full piece, her arms and legs being the only thing revealed.

Upon seeing the Uchiha family, the Leaf villagers would dare say that theirs is the only Akatsuki family present. When the person holding the camera speaks, however, this delusion is immediately discredited. Not only that, but it isn't hard for them to figure out which person is filming.

"This **_{bleep}_** thing is working, right? I pressed the right button?"

"The green light is on, Hidan, so it's recording," replies Kazumi cheerfully.

"I don't get why I'm the one doing all the **_{bleep}_** filming. I'm more muscular than Uchiha, and I'm definitely more masculine than blondie. My body deserves to be on camera!"

As if waiting for their cue, another Akatsuki family runs into the shot. The first to be seen is Deidara, who actually looks like a man today. Apparently he took Kaminari's advice, because instead of having his hair in the half ponytail all of it is pulled into a single ponytail at the nape of his neck. Along with that he wears dark blue swim trunks and no shirt, revealing that he is in fact a guy. A guy with a weird-looking type of tattoo on his chest, but male nonetheless.

Standing beside him is none other than his lovely girlfriend, Kaminari. Unlike Kazumi, she is wearing a two piece. Even so, it is far from revealing. The top is similar to that of a tanktop and the bottom is in the form of shorts, making it so only a tiny bit of her stomach is showing. Also, since the person wearing this bathing suit is Kaminari, it is a blinding shade of bubblegum pink. Floating next to Kaminari in something that looks like a cross between a floating device and a walker is her's and Deidara's son, Isi. He is definitely between seven and eight months old by now, black hair appearing a bit thicker than before. Isi looks around at the sand and the water with wide blue eyes, as if trying to figure out where the heck this strange place is at.

Responding to the annoyed Jashinist with a smile is none other than the pink-clad female. "Don't be so upset, Hidan. Holding the camera is fun! You get to be in control of what is recorded and what is not recorded. _You_ are the master of the video camera!"

If Hidan could be seen, there's no doubt that his eyes would be narrowed in irritation. "That doesn't make me feel any better at all, Kaminari. Of course, after hiding my **_{bleep}_** scythe for the fourth **_{bleep}_** time in a row, nothing you say or do could ever make me feel better! I'm broke because of you!"

Laughing, Deidara mocks, "She's hidden your scythe in the same place the past three times she's hidden it. Even I was able to find out where she's been putting it, un! You mean that you still don't know where it's at?!"

"No, and I can't **_{bleep}_** pay her to give it back this time either. I ran out of money, and Kakuzu won't loan me anything anymore. So until someone tells me where it's at, I'm stuck without my scythe!"

Again, Deidara laughs. "I'm not complaining, un. It's nice to not have to worry about being sacrificed in the middle of the night because I did something to mildly annoy you."

Sighing in irritation, he says, "Fine. What about this. If someone tells me where my scythe is at, I promise not to try killing any of you for the next week."

"Sorry," says Kaminari with a shrug. "No can do."

"Why the **_{bleep}_** not?!" asks Hidan.

"Because it's not nice to sacrifice people. I don't want to offend you, but Jashin isn't a very nice God. A nice God wouldn't make people do human sacrifices."

Far more irritated than before, it is heard as Hidan releases a loud growl. "Gah, you're **_{bleep}_** hopeless! Just give me back my **_{bleep}_** scythe! The only reason I agreed to come to the stupid beach with you instead of getting ice cream with Hisa and my kid was to figure out where you put my **_{bleep}_** scythe! Just tell me where the **_{bleep}_** it is already!"

They all gape at Hidan wide-eyed, appearing slightly afraid. Of course, their fear doesn't last for long. Less than a minute is what it takes for Kaminari to make a suggestion while jumping up and down with excitement.

"Ooh, guys, do you know what we haven't done yet today? Sand castles! Let's split up into teams and see who can build the best one! Dei, Isi, and me can be _'The Artists'_ , and Kazumi, Itachi, and Miki can be _'The Sharingans'_!"

Kazumi jumps up and down as well, appearing equally excited. "Okay, sounds fun! Let's do it!"

Deidara and Itachi simply exchange glances, pick up their kids, and go with their significant others to the shore. Hidan doesn't even follow after them with the camera. He leaves it pointed at the water, that section of the beach now being completely empty besides a buoy and a lone seagull. The whole time he grumbles to himself sounding about ready to explode.

"Well, this was **_{bleep}_** useless. Forget the beach. I'm finding Hisa and Imae, getting a cone of Moose Tracks, and forgetting that this day **_{bleep}_** happened."

With that as his final statement, Hidan shuts off the camera. As soon as the screen is blank, several bouts of amused chuckles are released.

"I wonder where she hid his scythe. If he went that long without finding it, it must have been a good hiding place," chuckles Naruto.

"Hiding his scythe," says Shikamaru dryly. "I wish it would have been that easy for us.

"I know. If that's all we had to do, we could have taken that guy down on our first try," chimes Ino in agreement.

After those words are said, a moment of silence passes. The person who breaks it is Lee.

"I don't mean to sadden the atmosphere, but it does make me wonder. Where are all of the Akatsuki women and their children now?"

Another moment of silence passes, and this one is much longer than the previous one. It takes a long few seconds, but at last it is Kakashi who speaks.

"We don't know where they're at and we'll probably never learn, so let's not think too much about it. Let's just keep our focus on Kazumi's videos."

* * *

Before the Leaf ninjas knew it, another set of birthdays passed. Isi turned one, there were a few videos where the Akatsuki babies went to the pet store and where they played together, and then the oldest Akatsuki baby, Imae, turned two. A couple months later Miki turned two as well. By now the children are able to walk, run, jabber, and interact with each other quite well. Based on this scene specifically, it's told exactly how well they're able to do these things.

"Isi, no! Crayon mine!"

Imae, Miki, Isi, and all of their mothers are all inside of a large room. It isn't any of their nurseries. It looks similar to a nursery, with chests and shelves filled with toys lining the walls as well as a little table and three little chairs in the center of the floor. The walls are also painted brightly with a beautiful blue sky, trees, an ocean, and various types of animals. Yet, this room still isn't a nursery. More or less, it appears to by a type of playroom.

Standing next to the table are Imae and Isi. Imae's silver hair now reaches the center of her back and is pulled into a ponytail with a purple ribbon. She is wearing a purple dress with little white flowers on it, her violet eyes really popping due to the dress' prime color. Most of the people watching would agree that she is an absolutely beautiful little girl. Yet, despite this, they can't help but be freaked out by exactly how much she looks like Hidan. It isn't just in her physical appearance, but in the way she's standing and in the annoyed expression she's wearing as she does her best to keep her grip on a sky blue crayon that Isi is trying to pry away from her.

Meanwhile, Isi has also grown. Surprisingly, he still looks more like Kaminari than like Deidara. Besides his blue eyes that are filled with fury and a Deidara-like scowl, his features and his stance are completely like Kaminari's. Or, specifically like Kaminari, would be the black hair that is fairly short. When he speaks, however, it couldn't be plainer that this child is Deidara's.

"No! Crayon mine! Want make art!"

Kazumi gives a chuckle from the camera's other side at Isi's words. "You want to make art, Isi? That's very good. Your daddy would be proud!"

Meanwhile Kaminari and Hisa rush in to separate them, Hisa telling Imae about all of the other pretty colors there are to choose from and Kaminari telling Isi that it isn't nice to take things from others without asking. Sadly, the Leaf ninjas don't get a chance to see how this scenario is going to play out. A small voice chirps from the other side of the table; a voice that sounds very excited.

"Mama, look!"

Turning the camera to the side, Miki is seen sitting at the table and holding up a scribbled on piece of paper. The colors scribbled on it are orange and brown. There are also some red and green scribbles in the lower right corner. Upon seeing it, Kazumi replies to her daughter happily.

"Oh, Miki, that's beautiful! What did you draw?"

Miki, whose medium-length black hair is tied into a half ponytail with a blue ribbon, smiles happily. She wears a blue dress, and when she turns at a certain angle, the edge of the Uchiha symbol can be seen sewn into the back of it. Onyx eyes lighting up, she responds to her mother's question through words and pointing.

Pointing at the center of the page where the orange and brown scribbles are, she says, "Kitty." Then pointing to the green and red scribbles in the lower corner, she explains, "Flower".

"Oh," says Kazumi in comprehension. "A kitty and a flower! That's wonderful, sweetie! What a good drawing! When daddy gets back, I'm sure that he'll love to see it."

Right as the words leave her mouth, somebody new enters the room. The door is behind Kazumi and is out of the camera's range, so nobody can see who it is. All they can do is listen as the door opens. The only time they figure out who it is, is when the person entering the playroom speaks.

"Daddy will love to see what?"

Eyes lighting up, Miki jumps up from the chair and shoots across the room. The whole way to the door, she shouts only one word with joy.

"Daddy!"

"Miki!" he replies happily.

Kazumi moves once again, the camera shifting from the table, to Imae and Isi who are still arguing over the blue crayon, to Itachi. His Akatsuki cloak is wrinkled and his hair is slightly askew, making it known that he just returned from a particularly tough mission. Even so, a joyful smile never hesitates to light up his face at the sight of Miki. When she reaches him, she jumps up and down while making a delightful request.

"Up! Up!"

Bending over, he scoops Miki into his arms. Once he's holding her, she doesn't hesitate to hug Itachi affectionately around the neck. In turn, Itachi hugs her affectionately as well. A second later, he smiles and asks his daughter a question.

"How was my little Uchiha while I was away?"

Beaming, Miki gives Itachi the piece of paper that she was grasping. "I drew!"

Taking the scribbled on piece of paper with his free hand, Itachi observes it carefully. "This is very good, Miki! This is the best…uh…"

Having no idea what he's supposed to be looking at, Itachi glances at Kazumi. Giggling, his wife whispers an answer to him.

"The orange is a kitty, and the red is a flower."

Nodding in thanks, he continues giving his answer to Miki. "This is the best cat and the best flower I have ever seen! You are a true artist."

Crossing her arms with pride, she turns to face her companions. "Imae, Isi, I a artist!"

Apparently they were too busy fighting over the crayon to notice him before, because now there are two other little beings running in Itachi's direction. Despite the fact that he's not their father, they appear just as happy as Miki.

"Unca 'tachi!" they shout in unison.

Nodding his head in acknowledgement, Itachi gives each of them a pat on the head. Opening his mouth, he prepares to say something. Before he can, however, he is cut off by Isi.

"Where Dada?"

Looking at the little boy, he replies, "Your father finished his mission very soon after I finished mine, so he should be back soon. Not to worry, Isi."

Violet eyes filling with concern, Imae asks a like question. "Unca 'tachi, where my daddy?"

Surprise washing over his features, Itachi turns his gaze to Hisa who is barely standing within the camera's range. "Isn't Hidan inside the hideout? I assumed that he would be here."

Hisa shrugs nonchalantly, not appearing at all worried. "No, he isn't. Hidan hasn't had any missions at all this week, but he still hasn't been around too much. I don't know where he's at."

It is only a few seconds later that the playroom door comes open once more. For a moment those watching are expecting to see Hidan. However, when a blonde head of hair enters the room rather than a silver one, they realize that they were mistaken. The first thing they hear when he steps into the room is his relaxed yet happy voice.

"Where's my artist at, un?"

Jumping up and down excitedly, Isi shouts in response. "Dada!"

Looking in the direction of Isi's voice, the blonde bomber gives a smile and saunters in his direction. The first thing he does upon reaching his son is pick him up. The blonde's smile never fades while Isi's only grows wider.

"Isi," says Deidara as he holds him, "what is art?"

Blue eyes lighting up, the child answers with a joyful shout. "A 'plosion!"

It is here that Deidara laughs. "An explosion! That's right, un! You do remember!"

Kaminari rushes on screen a moment later, giving her boyfriend a hug around the waist.

"Dei! I'm glad you're back! How did the mission go?"

He gives a shrug. "I guess it went okay, un. I blew up some buildings, blew up some guards, and helped Sasori steal a scroll. The usual, un."

"That's great!" Kaminari exclaims happily. "I'm always glad to see you come back okay! Those missions are dangerous, you know."

"Yeah, but they're not that dangerous, un. I always come back fine." Pausing, the blonde looks around. It takes him a minute, but he finally notices that someone is missing. "Where's the insane religious freak at, un? I thought that he'd be here trying to convert our kids."

"Your guess is as good as mine," Hisa replies. "He's been gone for the past three days."

A moment of silence passes after that, both in the Hokage's office and on camera. If one thing is for certain, it's that the atmosphere in Tsunade's office has just grown very heavy. At last, it is the sound of Imae's voice that breaks the silence. She sounds sad, but also sounds like she's looking for a distraction.

"Unca Deiwa, we see your 'plosions?"

Looking down at the little girl, Deidara nods. "Sure, un. Let's go the empty field behind the hideout. They look best there, un."

Once that is said, everyone files out the door. A few seconds later the screen turns black. Once the video ends the room is completely silent. Not even the crunching of potato chips can be heard.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Okay, that's it for now, folks. I will try to have another chapter up by Monday or Tuesday, but I have a lot of babysitting to do and things with my internship schedule to fix, so my next update might not come until Wednesday. Nonetheless, I will give it my best shot to get another chapter finished. I still want to get this story done before I have to go back to college. So far, it's looking like I'm probably going to be able to do it. If I can't, at least I gave it my best shot.**_

 _ **Anyway, thanks for reading, and thanks for your favorites and follows. Hope you're all enjoying it, because I've been working very hard to make this story turn out good. Until next time! :)**_

 _ **Forever and Always,**_

 ** _OCQ_**


	8. Chapter 8: The Building Storm

_**A/N: Okay, it has been way too long between updates for me, but I am back at last. By the way, I am very sorry that it took me so long to update this! I have a ten week long internship, (only seven weeks left at this point), and it has been incredibly busy! Until this quarter, I had absolutely no idea that being an intern required so much work! Not only have I had to learn how to perform tasks properly at the agency, but I have an online class along with my internship, my regular classes, and then babysitting. So, in short, it has been very hectic. Of course, despite this, I absolutely love my internship site! The people there are super nice, and I really enjoy working the phones. Who knew that there were so many interesting people in my little corner of Michigan? Let me tell you, when I'm working the phones there is never a dull moment. Though there are very awkward moments... Some people laugh at my jokes and others do not... I guess saying "Isn't technology great" when the computers are running slow doesn't come off as funny to some people XD .**_

 _ **Anyway, here is the next chapter of "The Hidden Truth". You came here to read the story and not my odd internship ramblings, right? Enjoy the chapter! :) .**_

 _ **P.S. I have a quick shout-out for naruto1389: Thank you so much for commenting! I appreciate it! As for your guess on what happened to Hidan, he could be dead or maybe he's not. You'll have to read to find out ;). **_

* * *

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I only own my OCs._

* * *

 **Chapter Eight: The Building Storm**

Several videos have passed since Hidan's shocking disappearance, everyone showing up at one point or another besides the Jashinist. The Leaf ninjas were starting to wonder if something might have happened to him or if he ran off and deserted his family. A number of them were beginning to believe that the battle with Shikamaru came, and that he was permanently incapacitated. Of course, as the next video began to play, it was quickly learned that this was not the case. Then again, because of how young the children still are and because Deidara has mentioned that Sasori is alive multiple times, several of them already knew that Hidan was not yet gone. It simply wasn't proven until now.

Kazumi is in the kitchen with the children, video camera most likely set up on a tripod so that all of them can be filmed at once. She, Kaminari, and all three of the kids are sitting around the less than tidy kitchen counter, the children cutting sugar cookies into shapes. Kaminari and Kazumi are happily assisting the children, praising them the whole time.

"That's a wonderful cookie, Imae! Tell me what you made!" says Kazumi excitedly.

Smiling proudly, the silver-haired girl holds up the cookie and shouts out, "Horsey!"

Over all, the shape she cut out looks like an oddly shaped blob with a head and stubs for legs. Honestly, it looks more like a dog than a horse. Even so, everyone still praises it.

"Imae made nice horsey!" says Miki supportively. Then she adds, "I made kitty!"

The onyx eyed little girl holds up her own blob. It's very similar to Imae's, considering how it could be mistaken for any animal that has four legs and a head. Even so, the other little girl compliments her on it as well as the adults.

"Nice kitty, Miki! It good!" says Imae.

"It's a very good kitty, Miki! After the cookies are baked, we can color some frosting and make him look very pretty," says Kaminari.

The only one who does not have anything nice to say is Isi. "Kitty bad. Mine good!"

It is here that the littlest of the bunch, who now looks like he's nearing two years old, displays his own creation. To be blunt, it doesn't look like it's supposed to be anything. There are spikes coming out of it every which way as well as other various pieces, making it appear like a disfigured sea urchin. Kazumi and Kaminari raise confused brows at it, but are kind to the raven-haired boy nonetheless.

"That is very interesting, sweetie!" says Kaminari. After a long pause she asks, "What is it?"

Grinning widely, he says, "A 'plosion!"

Kazumi laughs sweetly at the explanation. "That explains a lot! It's actually very good, Isi. It's the best explosion cookie I've ever seen!"

"Nu uh," says Miki while shaking her head in disagreement. "Cookie ugly!"

Hearing her daughter's mean words, Kazumi reprimands her gently. "Miki, it isn't nice to insult people. You don't want to hurt Isi's feelings, do you?"

The little girl doesn't have time to say anything in response, nor does anyone else. At that exact moment, the Leaf ninjas hear as a loud angry voice rings through the hideout. Immediately, they are able to peg this voice as Hisa's.

"Oh, so you've finally decided to come back to us, huh? It has been more than two months, and you finally decide to show your face around here! You've been gone for so long that I almost don't recognize you!" After a slight pause, she asks with harsh sarcasm, "Who are you again?"

A moment later, an equally angry masculine voice speaks in response. "You know who I am, Hisa, so quit riding my **_{bleep}_** case! I can stay at the main hideout and go bounty hunting with Kakuzu whenever I want! I'm still a free man, you know! Besides, I have to pay Kakuzu back for all the money he loaned me somehow. Every time I help him with a bounty he scrapes a little bit off my debt, so being gone is completely worth it!"

At last, the two enter the kitchen. They don't even seem to notice the room's occupants. Hisa's silver eyes are locked onto Hidan and Hidan's violet eyes are locked onto her, both of them caught up in an intense staring match. Honestly, the orange-haired girl appears ready to wrestle her husband to the ground and try strangling him to death. On the other hand, the man clad in the Akatsuki cloak appears ready to use his deadly three-pronged scythe on her. Even so, neither of them moves.

"So that's what you do, huh? Whenever you get sick of us, you retreat to the main hideout, and then you use Kakuzu as an excuse. And don't say that you're not using him as an excuse! You care about paying off your debt about as much as you care about kissing a monkey's behind!"

Eyes widening, Hidan shouts back at his wife. "Don't **_{bleep}_** talk to me like that! I do too care about paying off my debt! Of course, you should care more than I do! It's because you got pregnant that I owe Kakuzu so much **_{bleep}_** money in the first place!"

For the first time, the occupants of Tsunade's office shift their attention to the bystanders. All of them look nothing but shocked and horrified. However, none looks as horrified by the sight as Imae. Clearing her throat, Kazumi catches Kaminari's gaze and nods in the direction of the camera. Giving a nod of understand, the green-eyed teen slowly makes her way toward it. The whole time Kazumi takes Miki by one hand and Imae by the other and drags them from the room. The last voice heard before the screen goes black is Kaminari's.

"Isi, sweetie, come over here by mommy. Once we're done getting Aunt Kazumi's camera, we can go to the playroom and do some fun finger painting with Imae and Miki. Doesn't that sound fun?"

Once the video ends, the Leaf shinobi stare into space before exchanging glances. Unsurprisingly, the first person to speak is Naruto. He sounds both shocked and incredibly angry.

"He left Hisa and Imae all by themselves for two months? Why would he do that?! That's his wife and his kid! He can't just desert them!" shouts the jinjurichi lividly.

Neji replies with his usual blunt calmness from the other side of the room. "Of course he can. Hidan never cared about his family. Have you noticed that even when he was around for them, that his primary focus was on converting his daughter to the Way of Jashin?"

Lee responds to Neji's comment, though he does so hesitantly. "It does seem like much of the affection shown to his daughter was connected to his religion… Even so, Hidan did seem to care about Hisa and Imae to an extent."

"Exactly," states Neji. " _'To an extent'_. When it comes down to it, Hidan is more dedicated to his 'Jashin' and to himself than he is to his family. If it didn't go against his religious principles, there is no doubt that he would have done away with Hisa before Imae ever came into the world."

Tenten is the next to speak. She doesn't just speak to Neji, but to the whole group. "To be honest, I really hurt for Hisa. Being married to someone like Hidan must have been hard. Even before Shikamaru defeated Hidan, it really didn't seem like he was there like he should have been." Pausing, she asks, "Besides that one video where he was feeling Imae kick while Hisa was sleeping, did he ever show any affection at all that didn't have to do with Jashin?"

"No," replies Naruto bitterly. "Even then, he wasn't man enough to show Hisa that he cared about her while she was awake. He had to do it while she was sleeping."

Nobody has time to say anything else after that. A moment later the next video starts. Nobody knows if Kazumi did this on purpose or if it is pure coincidence, but the next clip has everything to do with Hidan. Honestly, it's as if it is meant to reinforce their beliefs about him.

When the screen lights up, the first thing seen is Kazumi's face. For the first time, the Leaf ninjas are finally starting to realize how much she has aged. In the first video, she only looked about fourteen and now she definitely has to be about eighteen. Even so, her brown eyes still have that familiar glow, and her voice sounds happy and chipper just like before. Only, now, it's for different reasons.

"Yes! I finally found the video camera! It ends out I left it in the living room. I thought I put it in mine and Itachi's bedroom, but I guess I didn't. Who knew?" Pausing, she continues, "Anyway, I just have to film this! Before Itachi left on his mission a few days ago Pein gave us some money to get another toy for the playroom, and we got a small trampoline for the kids. Imae isn't too fond of it, and Isi would rather run around and make messes than jump, but Miki absolutely loves it! I just have to film her while she's jumping! She's so cute!"

With that being said, Kazumi turns the camera so it's pointed at the playroom door and walks inside the area. The first thing seen upon opening the door is a small trampoline with a chair sat in front of it. The chair is most likely meant as something to hold onto while jumping. However, nobody is on the trampoline. Instead, Miki, Isi, and Imae are all sitting at the playroom's child-sized table. Also sitting down, looking very awkward and out of place amidst of such tiny furniture, is Hidan. He holds a bag of assorted candies, dangling it in front of the children as he speaks to them.

"Okay, Miki, now it's your turn. What's one of the lines from Jashin's prayer? If you get it right the first time, I'll give you two pieces of candy."

Onyx eyes narrowed in thought, the little Uchiha gives an uncertain response. "Jashin good?"

Hidan shrugs, a smug smirk on his face. "No. 'Jashin good' isn't part of Jashin's prayer, but you can still have a piece of candy for the praise."

Removing a piece of chocolate from the bag, he sets in on the table in front of Miki. The little girl doesn't hesitate to grab the candy, unwrap it, and stuff it in her mouth. The next person the silver-haired Jashinist turns to is little Isi.

"Isi, can you give me a line from Jashin's prayer? You get two pieces of candy if you get it right."

Much like Miki, Isi narrows his vivid blue eyes thoughtfully. When he replies, it is very apparent that he doesn't care about getting the answer right as much as about outdoing the girl next to him.

"Jashin _very_ good!"

Releasing a laugh, Hidan removes a piece of chocolate and a piece of taffy from his bag and sets them in front of the small boy. "That's not a part of Jashin's prayer, but I'll still give you two pieces of candy. You really know how to try and please Lord Jashin."

Taking the candy, Isi laughs and turns to Miki. "Ha! I did better than you, Miki!"

The Uchiha girl frowns, appearing sad. When Hidan speaks, however, Miki's frown disappears, as do Isi's and Imae's facial expressions. Instead, each of them gains expressions of confusion.

"Actually, that's wrong. Young Jashinists shouldn't think of themselves as being better or worse than anyone else. Right now, you're only at the level of disciples. Until you perform your first sacrifice and earn your scythe, you're all on equal ground." Pausing, Hidan turns to face his daughter, Imae. "Now what about you, baby girl? Can you say any of the lines from Jashin's prayer?"

Sadly, for Imae, there is no time for her to answer. As if just waking up from a shocked trance, Kazumi opens her mouth and begins to shout. If one thing is certain, she definitely doesn't sound happy.

"Hidan, what the heck do you think you're doing?!"

Jumping in surprise, the silver-haired man and all of the children turn to face the camera. Or in their case, they turn to face Kazumi. Blissfully unaware of her mother's current emotions, Miki speaks to her.

"Guess what, Mama? Unca Hidan gave us candy!"

Irritation being apparent in her voice, she replies to her daughter. "Yeah, he did give you candy, didn't he? He's bribing you with treats and training you like kids you're dogs."

Imae furrows her brow, honestly confused. "We're not dogs, Aunt Kazumi. We're people!"

"That's right, baby girl," says Hidan with an arrogant smirk. "You're people, and soon you're going to be people that know how to follow the Way of Jashin."

Releasing a fierce-sounding growl, the camera turns at an awkward angle for a moment as Kazumi places it somewhere. Based on the distance the lens is from the floor, the Leaf ninjas are guessing that she placed it on a dresser or table of some sort. Once the camera focuses and everything straightens, they see an angry Kazumi marching across the floor in the direction of the insane Jashinist and the children. Before Hidan has a chance to blink, Kazumi steals the bag of candy from his arms and throws it out the door into the hallway.

"Get out of here, Hidan! Now! And take your candy and the Way of Jashin with you!"

Narrowing his eyes, Hidan glares at her. "You can't just toss me out of here, Kazumi! I _**{bleep}**_ live here, too, you know!" Pausing, he adds with an arrogant smirk, "Besides, if I leave now then Imae will miss me. Right, baby girl?"

Hidan doesn't seem to catch it, but for some reason Kazumi is looking to another part of the room and chuckling. Caramel-colored eyes sparkling with amusement, the girl walks over to the piece of furniture that is holding the camera and picks it up once more. First, she points the camera at a flabbergasted Hidan who has finally spotted whatever it was she was looking at, and then she aims it at another part of the room. The whole time Kazumi's chuckles grow louder.

"I'm sorry, Hidan, but I think that your daughter is a little too distracted right now to miss you."

The moment she turns the camera all three children are seen. Somehow, in the space of three seconds, they each got bored and left the table to perform other tasks. Miki is holding onto the back of the chair and jumping on the trampoline, her raven-colored tresses bouncing up and down as she releases giggles of joy. Holding onto the chair's other side is none other than Imae. Like Miki, her silver hair bounces all around and she laughs happily. The only one not using the trampoline is Isi. Instead, he is dipping his hands in paint and spreading them all over the previously clean surface of the table. Apparently, Kazumi and Hidan are ignoring the paint-covered little boy, because all of their attention seems to be on Imae.

Sounding disappointed, the Jashinist addresses his daughter. "Don't you want any candy, baby girl? If you tell me about Jashin, then I can give you loads of candy!"

Laughing, Imae shakes her head. "No, daddy. I jumping. Daddy go." Pausing, the violet-eyed child turns to the girl beside her. "You're right, Miki! Jumping fun!"

It is here that Kazumi turns the camera so that it's facing Hidan once more. Laughing, she says, "Sorry, Hidan, but it looks like your school for up and coming Jashinists is currently out of session. You can stay here and play with your daughter like a normal father, which I doubt you'll do, or you can grumble and stomp out of here. The choice is yours."

Hidan glares at the woman who is holding the camera. "If this is your way of getting me to quit, then you've got another thought coming. Nothing is going to stop me from getting these ** _{bleep}_** kids to convert to the Way of Jashin! Whether you like it or not, these kids are going to be Jashinists!"

With that being said, Hidan stomps in the direction of the exit appearing both frustrated and annoyed. Snatching up the scythe he left leaning against one of the walls, the silver-haired man leaves the room while grumbling to himself. The Leaf ninjas can't quite make out what he's saying, but they're certain that they hear the words _"Stupid woman"_ and _"Jashin will make her pay!"_

The moment he steps out of the playroom, those watching are expecting Kazumi to shut off the video camera and for the screen to turn to black so that another video can begin playing. This actually does happen a minute or two later, but before that a loud voice echoes through the hallway. Knowing who the voice belongs to and hearing how the words immediately turn from curious to irritated, it isn't hard for anyone to guess what is going to happen next.

"What's a random bag of candy doing in the middle of the floor, un? Kaminari won't even let Isi get near candy unless it's on a Friday." A moment of silence passes, and then there is angry shouting. "Hidan, this candy better not be yours! If you try converting my kid one more time, I'm going to make you regret it, un!"

Hidan is out of sight, but those watching still don't doubt that there is an arrogant smirk painted across his smug face. "What are you going to do to make me regret it?!" calls the silver-haired man mockingly. "Use your **_{bleep}_** art to blow me limb from limb?! I can outrun that **_{bleep}_** easy!"

"Yeah?! Well let's see you try, un!"

It is only a second after these words are spoken that a loud explosion comes from the hallway followed by a bright orange glow and a shrill scream from the Jashinist. Several more explosions sound off as well as other various shrieks of terror from Hidan. As this happens, Deidara can be heard shouting.

"Try converting my kid now, un! You can't convert him if your body is blown apart!"

His screams ceasing momentarily, Hidan replies to the statement in anger. "Mark my words, you blonde-haired freak! I will get your kid to convert! I will get **all** of our kids to convert to the Way of Jashin! If I don't, then may I be dismembered and buried!"

It is only after that statement that Kazumi shuts off the camera and the screen cuts to black. When this happens everybody's eyes widen for a moment as they shift their gazes to Shikamaru. So intense is the staring that Kiba and Naruto even pause in the consumption of their chips. Somehow, none of this fazes the shadow-possession user. An irritated expression crossing over his face, he looks around the room and gazes at them in return.

"What?" he asks in mixture of obliviousness and impatience.

Shrugging, Naruto goes back to eating his chips and faces the screen. "Never mind. It's nothing."

Once Naruto turns his eyes away from Shikamaru, everyone else does as well. From here the next video plays and they continue watching, none of them bringing up the unspoken subject again.

* * *

It honestly didn't seem like too much time had passed, but before they knew it, another set of birthdays had gone by. Imae turned three, followed by Miki two months later, and then several months after that Isi's birthday came. Surprisingly, the children's birthdays weren't the only birthdays that were celebrated. Very similar to the year he turned sixteen, Kazumi gathered all of the Akatsuki members who were willing to show up together and threw Itachi a party for his twentieth birthday.

To be blunt, Itachi's twentieth birthday was almost a complete repeat of the sixteenth. Like before, Hidan, Sasori, and Pein still wouldn't show up. Also like before, Kakuzu demanded that he get the money Kazumi bribed him with directly after the party's end. The only difference was that this time Deidara wanted a set of very expensive non-toxic finger paints for Isi instead of clay, Tobi brought three presents instead of two so he could get three times the cookies, and Kaminari was present in addition to everyone else. Hisa would have been there as well, but she was occupied with watching the children.

Really, this party was almost more fun to watch then any of the children's birthday parties or the party thrown for Itachi's sixteenth birthday. Mostly, this is because of Kaminari. Having Kazumi there would add enough life to the party by itself, but with Kaminari there as well, there was life times ten. She was bouncing around, making sure that nobody forgot their party hats, made everyone get together for a group photo, and even talked everyone into playing _'Pin the Ponytail on Itachi'_. To put simply, it was both an interesting and a humorous sight. Not to mention, that it was also one of those rare times where Itachi pulled out his sharingan on camera.

In the end, there was only one thing that put a damper on their enjoyment of the video, and it was the simple fact of Itachi's age. With every video that passes, the closer the time gets to the present. Even though nobody in the room has brought it up yet, Itachi turning twenty and Miki turning three only means one thing; that time the Akatsuki families get to spent together is starting to grow short. Based on the heaviness that the atmosphere of the room is starting to take on, there is not one person who isn't thinking this exact thing. Still nobody says it, though. Instead, they keep on watching.

The screen is currently lit up, not by the inside of the Akatsuki hideout, but by a place that is completely different. Instead of rocky walls and stalactites, there are wooden walls filled to capacity by various tanks and cages. Standing in the middle of the floor next to a particularly large glass cage are Itachi and three-year-old Miki.

Similar to many other videos where they have been out in public, Itachi isn't wearing his Akatsuki cloak. Instead, he wears a dark gray shirt with netting underneath, plain black pants, shinobi-brand sandals, and has his ponytail hanging over his shoulder. Miki is at her father's side, her tiny little hand wrapped around one of Itachi's much larger fingers. Silky black hair pulled into twin ponytails that nearly cover the Uchiha symbol on the back of her simple red dress, the girl presses her face against the glass of the cage. The whole time she's jabbering away to the young man beside her, the older of the two Uchihas giving a small smile at his daughter's excitement.

"Cute kitty!" she shouts happily. "The kitty's playing with string!"

Itachi bends over slightly in order to get a closer look at what Miki is talking about. The camera moves nearer to the glass as well, enabling those watching to see inside of the cage. Running around, pouncing on each other, and playing with various objects put inside of the cage are a group of six kittens. A couple of them are black and white, one is brown with white spots, another is completely brown, and one is orange with tiger stripes. The orange one with the tiger stripes is busily pawing at a piece of string, making it known that this is the one that Miki is looking at.

Itachi must take note of this, because he replies to the girl easily. "Is it the orange one that you like, Miki? If it is, then I have to agree with you. That one does seem rather playful."

Miki points to it while jumping up and down in excitement. "I like the kitty! He's pretty!" Turning to Itachi with wide onyx eyes, the girl makes a pleading statement. "Can I have him, daddy? Please?!"

It is here that Kazumi laughs in amusement from her usual spot behind the camera. If Itachi didn't already appear unsure of how he should handle the situation, then he certainly does when his wife speaks to him.

"What do you say, Itachi? Can we have the kitty? Pretty please?!" says the woman teasingly.

Turning his gaze away from Miki, he shoots her a look of slight irritation. "Kazumi, I thought we agreed that we were only coming here to look. We've been telling Miki for the past three weeks that she can't have the cat. Leader Pein isn't fond of animals." Pausing, he looks at the camera as if noticing it for the first time. "And why did you bring the video camera? I thought we agreed to leave it behind."

Chuckling once more, Kazumi replies nonchalantly. "I was going to, but then I decided to bring it anyway. I didn't want to miss this beautiful family moment!"

Itachi's irritated expression deepens, but only slightly. More than anything, he seems calm.

"If this is your way of whittling down my patience so that I change my mind, it isn't going to work. Leader Pein has already said no to the cat. I'm not going to try convincing him again." After a short pause, he adds, "My resolve is a brick wall, Kazumi. You aren't going to break it."

For some unknown reason, Kazumi's voice contains a strong hint of amusement. "Who said anything about me breaking it? Honestly, Itachi. I'm not the one you should be worried about."

The camera, which was momentarily pointed away from Miki, is now being turned back in the small girl's direction. Oddly enough, she is no longer standing outside the clear glass cage looking inside. Somehow, in the space of ten seconds, the girl managed to make her way inside of the enclosure in attempt to hold one of the small fluffy creatures. She is currently sitting against the inside of the glass while cuddling the orange-striped cat tightly to her chest. The kitten is squirming within her grasp, appearing very unhappy to have been separated from its fun playing with string. Miki doesn't notice this, of course. She's far too busy showing the animal all of the affection that it never wanted.

Hugging the animal tightly, she exclaims, "I love you, kitty! Your name is _'Snuggles'_! I'm keeping you!" Pausing, she looks up at her parents through the glass. Or, more specifically, she looks at Itachi. "Daddy, please can we keep Snuggles? He wants to come home with us!"

Childlike features glowing with sweetness, Miki gives her father the puppy dog eyes. Meanwhile, the newly named Snuggles meows desperately and continues squirming, doing the best it can to escape. Chuckling, Kazumi turns the camera at an angle where both Itachi and Miki can be seen clearly. For once when they're in public, the young man's expression isn't completely blank. Rather, his obsidian-colored eyes are wide with disbelief. A second or two later, however, the expression changes to one that is something similar to a disciplinary father look.

"Miki," Itachi demands firmly, "I don't know how you got in there, but get out of the cage. **_Now_**."

The little girl doesn't appear frightened at her father's demands. Instead, she frowns in bewilderment prior to giving a nonchalant shrug.

"Okay, daddy. I can get out."

Readjusting the tiny cat so that it's resting uncomfortably in the crook of her arm, Miki weaves a short set of unfamiliar and rapid hand signs. Less than a second passes before a flicker of white light materializes where she was previously standing, the child reappearing at a spot outside the glass cage a moment later. Unsurprisingly, the tiny orange kitten is still being held in her loving arms. In the cat's opinion, the girl's grasp is probably _too_ loving…

Once she is outside the cage, Miki continues squeezing the animal and speaking to it affectionately. Meanwhile, Itachi faces Kazumi with surprise painting over his features.

"Kazumi," he asks in what sounds like shock, "Did you teach her that?"

If the young woman could be seen, she would most likely be smiling with motherly pride. "Nope. I wasn't going to teach her that until she was at least five years old, but I guess those plans are pretty useless now. She must have inherited my clan's kekkei genkai. Otherwise she never would have figured out how to teleport by herself like that!"

Itachi, while he still appears surprised, he also starts to appear proud. "She inherited your clan's unique teleportation jutsu, and she also figured out how to use it by herself at such a young age. To achieve this level of success so early is very impressive. She is definitely an Uchiha." Wavering slightly, he adds is a concerned tone, "Though it does worry me that she used the teleportation jutsu specifically to disobey her father."

Hearing Itachi's words, Miki moves closer with the cat in-tow. "I'm not disobeying. I just wanted to pet him!" Shoving the tiny creature in his direction, she asks, "Do you want to pet Snuggles, daddy?"

Pointing a finger in her direction, he replies in a firm yet calm manner, "I'll pet snuggles only if you agree to ask me or your mother before using your teleportation jutsu."

Frowning slightly, she nods. "Okay. Next time I'll ask."

Giving a small smile, Itachi pats the top of her silky black hair affectionately. "Good girl. Remember to always be careful when you use your jutsu."

Again, Miki nods. A second later a smile lights up her face and she shoves the kitten in her father's direction a second time. "Will you pet snuggles now?!"

Smile growing ever so slightly, the young man crouches down. Once he's at his daughter's eye level, he reaches out a hand and pets the cat under the chin. When he does this, the kitten stops struggling and immediately begins purring. Honestly, he's being so gentle with the cat that it's almost surprising. Then again, it's only ' _almost_ '. After seeing how fatherly Itachi is with Miki, and how loving he is toward Kazumi, nothing really surprises the Hidden Leaf ninjas about Itachi anymore.

"Snuggles is a nice kitty, isn't he, daddy?" asks Miki with a smile.

Shifting his hand so that he's stroking the cat's back, he replies, "Yes. He is a very nice kitty. Snuggles seems like quite a decent cat." Pausing, he adds with a knowing smirk, "But even if he is nice, he still can't come home with us, Miki."

It is here that Miki sticks out her lower lip in the form of a pout. "Why not?"

"Because Leader Pein doesn't appreciate us bringing animals into the hideout. I'm sorry, but he has to stay here." Pausing, Itachi turns so that he's facing Kazumi as well as his daughter before making one final statement. "It doesn't matter how much you try to convince me; my mind isn't going to change."

Once that is said the camera shuts off, the screen turning to black. When the screen lights up again, this time the footage is being recorded inside of the Akatsuki hideout. Not only do they know this due to the familiar sight of the branch hideout's living room, but because of the sound of a very firm-sounding voice that has rarely ever been heard on camera. The person speaking is Leader Pein, and he does not sound pleased.

"I'm only going to ask this question once, Itachi. What is that creature doing here?!"

Standing in the middle of the living room are three people; the black-haired man in the Akatsuki cloak, the orange-haired man with the piercings, and the little onyx-eyed girl holding an incredibly familiar orange kitten. For the very first time since watching Kazumi's home videos, there is an expression on Itachi's face that has never been seen before. This expression would be nervousness mixed with slight embarrassment. Meanwhile, Miki doesn't appear nervous in even the slightest. Holding the cat close to her, who is now snuggling against her rather than trying to escape, the girl gives the angry-looking orange-haired man a beaming smile.

"This is my kitty, Snuggles! He's a nice kitty! Do you want to pet him?"

The Leaf ninjas watch as Pein's rinnegan eyes widen, and as he looks back and forth between Itachi and Miki with a heavily annoyed demeanor. When he speaks again, he words come as a shock.

"More than anything, Itachi, I would like to address you on your surprising lack of parenting skills. Seeing as you've turned into daddy pushover, talking to you about parenting would probably be beneficial. Of course, seeing as I've come to this hideout for other reasons, I really don't think that today would be a good day to address this."

Opening his mouth partway, the Uchiha man appears ready to respond to the Akatsuki leader. Before he can, however, Kazumi speaks to them while holding the video camera. Similar to Pein, the young woman definitely does not sound pleased.

"Leader Pein, I mean you no disrespect, but Itachi is absolutely not a bad parent. If anything, he's a better father at twenty years old than my own father was when he was in his middle thirties! Geesh! One moment I'm on my way out here to videotape Miki and Itachi playing with the cat, and instead I hear my husband's parenting skills being insulted. As a faithful member of the Akatsuki, I would really appreciate it if you would show him respect."

Leader Pein, who still appears a bit angry as well as incredibly irritated, gives a sigh followed by a firm nod. "Very well, Kazumi. I will no longer say anything regarding how the two of you raise Miki. Even if I did try advising you, it would most likely result in a never-ending cycle of arguments from you anyway." After a short moment of hesitation, he puts in, "Besides. I have certainly seen parents who spoil their children much more…"

For a brief moment, those congregated inside of the Hokage's office are very uncertain of what he could be referring to. Of course, it doesn't take long for them to find out. Less than a second later a blonde-haired figure walks past the camera and into the shot, a tiny dark-haired child at his side. In the man's arms are numerous shopping bags that look like they come from a variety of stores. What exactly the shopping bags contain, nobody is sure. Or, at least that's true until the tiny Isi speaks out.

"Thanks for the toys and paint, daddy! Shopping fun!"

Shoving a blonde lock out of his face, Deidara gives his son a smile. "When you have idiots like Tobi to bribe money out of, shopping is lots of fun! But I still don't think that shopping was as fun as the carnival or the dango shop, un."

Jumping up and down, Isi gives his father a hug around the waist. What he says next definitely lets everybody know exactly how much time he has been spending around Deidara.

"Everything fun! Especially art, un!" Pausing, Isi releases his father and peeks over at Miki. Upon looking at her it becomes very apparent that the first thing he sees is the cat, because all it takes is a second for him to ask Deidara another question. "Daddy, can I have a kitty too?"

Smiling once more, Deidara nods without hesitation. "Sure, un. If you want, I can get you three cats. Let's ditch this place a go to the pet store."

In the blink of an eye the duo drops their shopping bags on the gray Akatsuki sofa, and then disappears from the room as if they were never there. Honestly, both the Leaf ninjas and those in the branch hideout's living room are unsure of whether or not it was them they saw or just the cat. Once they're gone, Itachi turns back to Pein while Miki focuses on her fluffy friend. As if just recalling something that Pein had mentioned previously, the Uchiha man speaks.

"Leader Pein, if you don't mind my asking, what brings you to the northeast branch hideout? If I remember correctly, you said that you have a specific reason for coming here."

From her unseen spot behind the camera, Kazumi states, "If this is about how Deidara has been since losing Sasori two months ago, he has been doing fine. Kaminari has been saying that he is completely his normal self. The only thing bothering him is being paired up with Tobi in Sasori's place."

It is here that those watching notice the shift in Pein's demeanor. No longer does he appear angry or annoyed. Instead his expression darkens to one of concern and sadness. Itachi is immediately able to catch this, because his onyx eyes begin taking on the appearance of dread. Even Miki hesitates in playing with Snuggles in order to look over at him.

"Actually, the reason I'm here has nothing to do with Sasori's death. Two of our Akatsuki members had a run-in with a group of ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village less than a week ago, and they didn't make it out of the battle. I sent Zetsu to the location where the battle took place, and he confirmed their deaths."

A long moment of silence passes, nobody in Tsunade's office or in the Akatsuki hideout's living room speaking. Despite the fact that it was an enemy who died, there is an odd feeling of dread that lingers in the air. At last, when the silence breaks, it is Pein's voice that ends it. He doesn't give a speech or a lengthy explanation. All he gives is a single sentence, and that once sentence explains everything.

"I need to speak with Hisa immediately."

* * *

 ** _A/N: Okay, as you can most likely tell, this story is starting to wind down to the final chapters. The first Akatsuki daddy has officially been killed, so you can most likely tell that it's only going to keep going from here. There are only going to be two or three chapters left, plus an epilogue. True that this isn't exactly my original estimation of five to ten chapters, but I'm still enjoying the way the story is turning out. Hopefully you're enjoying it too :)._**

 ** _Again, if you have any comments, don't be afraid to give me feedback. If I'm doing something well or if there's something you think that I could improve on, I'm all ears. I am grateful for any feedback you might give me, as I will be able to use it to improve my writing. Once this story is over, I definitely have other stories that I want to write; both for Naruto, and other fandoms. So, to those of you who have reviewed, thanks a bunch!_**

 ** _Until the next chapter! Forever and always,_**

 ** _OCQ_**


	9. Chapter 9: Here Comes the Rain

_**A/N: After what feels like ages, I have returned to you with the next chapter of "The Hidden Truth". After this chapter, I only plan on writing one more chapter, the epilogue, and then this story is done. Can you believe we're so close to being done already? Honestly, I don't want to leave Kazumi, Hisa, Kaminari and their little ones so fast, but alas this story is coming down to its conclusion. As a warning, this chapter isn't quite as upbeat as the previous chapters. With Hidan's death, and with Deidara and Itachi coming down to their final moments, things are definitely going to get a bit more serious than before. Nonetheless, I still tried to add in at least one moment of lightheartedness. I hope you enjoy! :)**_

 _ **P.S: Thanks to all of you who have favorited and followed, and to those of you who are sticking with the story. Hopefully the journey has been worth it!**_

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own my OCs along with the plot of this story._

* * *

 **Chapter Nine: Here Comes the Rain**

To say the least, the reactions of those living in the hideout to Hidan's death didn't surprise the Hidden Leaf ninjas in the slightest. There wasn't any sadness, any tears, or anything at all to signify that they might miss Hidan. Not even Hisa seemed to feel bad over the loss of her husband. Really, the only thing any of the hideout's inhabitants seemed to exhibit were feelings of shock. Of course, even then it wasn't too apparent. The only person who commented on it outwardly was Deidara, and it still came out sounding like a snide remark more than anything.

"So much for being immortal," said the blonde to Itachi as they walked through the Akatsuki's living room and into Kazumi's shot. "All this time I've felt bad for Hisa because I thought that she would end up being stuck with that maniac forever. I guess all of us were wrong on that one."

Once that remark was made, Itachi and Deidara disappeared from the living room and into the kitchen, allowing Kazumi to return to her previous task of filming all three children playing in a fort made out of sofa cushions. It was soon after this that the video ended. The next video after that, the video that they're watching currently, is one that is similar to the previous. All three children are present, Kazumi is the one filming, and Hidan is again brought up. Of course, besides these small commonalities, it is completely different from the other video.

Instead of taking place in the Akatsuki's living room, this video takes place in what appears to be Imae's zoo-themed bedroom. There are toys strewn all over the floor as well as crayons, paper, and finger-paint spread out across the top of a nearby table. Based on these facts, it looks like the children were hard at play earlier. However, as the camera shifts from the entirety of the room to Imae's bed, it becomes apparent that they're no longer busy playing.

Each of the children are passed out on top of Imae's comforter, looking incredibly peaceful as they sleep. Imae is curled up at one end and Miki is at the other end, little Isi sprawled out in between them. With Imae clinging to a pillow and with Miki unconsciously hugging Isi's arm, it really is a cute sight. When Isi turns over and hugs Miki around the waist with his free arm, it is heard as the mothers in the room giggle quietly.

"Ooh, they're so cute! It was a great idea to film them, Kazumi. Now we can see how cute our kids are while they're sleeping for the rest of our lives!"

When she speaks, Kazumi turns the camera away from the children and toward the raven-haired Kaminari. She looks down at the kids with bright emerald eyes, appearing very happy at the sight of how innocent the children look. Hisa is standing directly beside her, the young widow shoving an orange strand behind her ear while looking at the tiny toddlers with the same expression.

Meanwhile, Kazumi replies to the girl's excited comment cheerfully. "That's the idea. They won't stay little and cute forever, so we need to capture the moment now. That way even when they're in their thirties we can still see them at three and two years old."

All of the sudden Kaminari wrinkles her nose in disgust. "Come on, Kazumi. Don't talk about our kids being thirty. When they're thirty, we'll be in our forties!"

It is here that Kazumi chuckles from her place behind the camera. "You do realize that most parents are sixty when their kids are thirty, right? We're super young compared to other parents! Why do you think we always get bad looks when we're out in public?"

"We get bad looks? I didn't even notice," replies Kaminari with a nonchalant shrug. "All of my focus is always on Isi and Dei. Though Deidara did say once that he wishes people would quit glaring at us like we're evil or dirty. I guess that was what he was talking about."

At last, for the first time since the start of the video, Hisa speaks. Her silver eyes are deep, nostalgic, and sad. She attempts a smile, but ultimately, it fails.

"I guess Deidara isn't alone, then. Hidan never liked the treatment we got, either. One time there was a group of women and their husbands who openly insulted me. To put short, that was a huge mistake on their part. As odd as it sounds, I'd never seen Hidan as angry as he was then. It was...unfathomable."

Eyes widening, it is the artist's girlfriend who speaks. "Hidan actually defended you? For real?!"

Nibbling her lower lip, Hisa nods. "Yeah, for real. That wasn't the only time, either. If anyone ever said anything to insult me for being such a young mother, that person always ended up a sacrifice to Jashin." Pausing, she adds hesitantly, "Even if being married to Hidan was a nightmare and I wanted to be married to someone else most of the time, there were those rare times when he wasn't so bad. I always felt a lot safer going to town when he was with me, and when he was in a good mood some of the stuff he said was actually pretty funny."

Kazumi can't be seen, but based on her voice she is every bit as shocked as Kaminari. "Do you actually mean that, Hisa? That being married to Hidan wasn't all bad?"

A small smile emerging onto her face, she gives another nod. "Don't get me wrong; it was mostly bad. Just not _all_ bad." After a moment of hesitation, she continues. "Now if Hidan would have been more like Itachi, the bad would have been completely gone. I always hoped that his kindness would rub off on Hidan. I guess that never happened, though."

A contemplative expression crossing the other girl's face, Kaminari adds her input. "Yeah. Itachi has always been really nice since the day the two of us met him. He's super quiet and stern, but nice too. Since he killed everyone in the Uchiha clan, that's always surprised me."

After those words are spoken, a long moment of silence ensues. None of the viewing Leaf shinobi are certain on why, but for some reason the atmosphere among the three women seems to be incredibly heavy. As they continue watching, the atmosphere in Tsunade's office grows thick as well. It takes a moment, but at last Kazumi speaks. For some reason, her voice has an extremely odd tone to it.

"There are a lot of things that would surprise you about Itachi. Trust me."

It is here that Hisa and Kaminari exchange glances before staring down the camera in bewilderment. Or in their case, they stare down Kazumi.

"What do you mean by that?" Asks the raven-haired girl.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the Uchiha clan, would it?" Asks the silver-eyed woman as she crosses her arms suspiciously. "Kaminari and I have both noticed that whenever we bring up anything that has to do with Itachi killing his clan, that you start acting funny."

A short lapse in dialogue passes before the Uchiha's wife replies to the two of them with a sigh. "I do act funny, and there's a reason for it. If I could I would tell you everything, but I can't. I'm the only one Itachi trusts enough to keep his secret. Besides me, the elders of the Hidden Leaf Village, and Itachi himself, there isn't a soul alive who knows the truth behind the assassination of the Uchiha clan. Itachi wants to keep it that way, too, so I can't tell anyone."

All of the sudden the eyes of the two women widen in what appears to be shock. It isn't just the people on screen that are taken off guard by Kazumi's words, but the occupants of Tsunade's office as well. Yet, despite their surprise, nobody says anything. Instead they continue staring at the screen as a feeling of intense curiosity takes them over.

"Hold on," says Kaminari in awe. "There's a truth behind the Uchiha assassination?! Are you saying that Itachi didn't do it?!"

"No," replies Kazumi bluntly. "Itachi's the one that did it. He just didn't do it for the reasons that everyone thinks… There's a whole other story about it that I promised I wouldn't tell…"

Sadly, for the viewing shinobi, it is here that Kazumi turns off the camera and the screen cuts to black. For some reason, even if the video is over, nobody speaks. They don't really need to, either. This is the second time the murder for the Uchiha clan has been brought up in Kazumi's home videos, so every single person in the room knows that there's another story. They're not entirely sure of what the story is or of the real reason why Itachi killed the clan, but nonetheless, the majority of people surrounding the portable DVD player are starting to believe that Itachi isn't what they thought he was.

At last, when somebody speaks, it is none other than the fifth Hokage. She has her arms crossed over her chest, her brows are furrowed, and she frowns in a contemplative fashion.

"Shizune, cancel any appoints today that I haven't already canceled. If anybody asks why, tell them that something very important has come up that can't be ignored." Pausing, she adds, "While you're at it, tell the elders that I would like to speak with them sometime this evening. If Kazumi is right and if they do know something, then I want answers."

Standing up from her place in between Kakashi and the older woman, Shizune gives a cooperative nod. "I'm already on it, Lady Tsunade. To be honest, I was about to suggest meeting with the elders myself. I want answers just as much as you do."

With that being said, the woman works her way past the people sitting on the floor, makes the walk across the spacious office, and exits the room. Opening his mouth partway, Naruto appears ready to say something, but he doesn't get the chance. Before anyone can process it, the next video is starting and Shizune's absence is already forgotten. She isn't completely forgotten, though. Everyone else wants answers from the elders just as much as Tsunade and Shizune. Who knows? Maybe they want answers even more.

* * *

It wasn't until Kazumi congratulated Isi for turning three that those congregated in Tsunade's office realized how much the people on the screen have aged. If Deidara's son was three, that meant that Deidara and Kaminari were nineteen. Not only that, but it also meant that Imae and Miki were four. If the two little girls were four then their parents had all aged a year as well, putting Hisa at twenty-two, Kazumi at twenty, and Itachi at the dreaded age of twenty-one. The fact that all of them are these ages only means one thing; that the home videos are catching up to the present.

Even if nobody admits it aloud, the idea of the videos growing so near to the current place in time saddens each of the Leaf ninjas. Within the next few videos Deidara and Itachi are going to be dead, and the Akatsuki women and their children are going to be a complete mess. Also, the videos catching up to the present reinforces a question that all of them have been wondering since the beginning and that has even been voiced a couple of times: Now that all of their significant others are dead, where are the women and the Akatsuki babies now?

Of course, even with curiosity and dread enveloping the room, everyone is able to push these feelings aside in order to focus on the current video. With none of the children on the screen but all of the remaining parents present, it's an odd type of video that they've never seen before. For the first time in what feels like ages, Kisame is present as well. The young adults are lounging in what appears to be a dining room area, all six of them sitting around a large oval-shaped table holding various beverages such as tea and hot chocolate. Kazumi is in the shot as well, so it is assumed that the camera is standing on a tripod.

At first those viewing the video are very confused as to why Kazumi would want to film this. When Deidara sends a glare at the camera with harsh blue eyes, however, it is starts getting explained.

"Kazumi, do you have to bring that stupid camera everywhere, un? That thing is annoying."

The brown-haired woman as joyful as ever, she smiles while replying to the blonde. "Don't get so upset, Deidara. I'm only filming us this one time. I wanted to catch everybody's stories on tape. Our kids might want to hear them someday, you know."

Sighing in aggravation, Deidara turns to face Kaminari. "You just had to suggest that we tell each other how we met, didn't you, un? Now we're stuck with that stupid camera for the rest of the night!"

Kaminari opens her mouth in attempt to respond, but is cut off by Itachi. Onyx eyes void of any emotion besides nonchalance, he speaks to his fellow Akatsuki member simply.

"If you ignore the camera for long enough, you eventually forget that it exists. It shouldn't bother you for too much longer."

"Yeah, that's easy for you to say. The woman whose goal is to record our lives is your wife, un!"

At last Kisame, who is sitting in between Itachi and Hisa, replies in what sounds like amusement. "To be honest, I really don't care if she got out the video camera. I'm just looking forward to hearing the explanations for how each of you met. I've always wondered how somebody as stoic as Itachi got involved with somebody as outgoing as Kazumi." Pausing, he adds, "Not to mention how the short-tempered artist ended up with the queen of pep."

Kazumi puts a musing finger to her chin at Kisame's words. "Actually, I've always wondered that myself. Now that the camera is all set up and filming, how did you meet Kaminari, Deidara?"

Deidara, who is holding a cup filled with what appears to be tea, grips the piece of porcelain tighter as he avoids the gazes of everyone else at the table. Due to the angle he's tilting his head at nobody can tell for sure, but the blonde-haired artist's cheeks appear to be tinged with crimson. When he replies to Kazumi's question, the Leaf ninjas note that his voice is filled with discomfort.

"I don't actually have to tell you guys how we met, un. I never agreed to tell any of you. Besides, how I met Kaminari isn't that important. I bet you guys will just get bored if I tell you, un."

The Leaf ninjas weren't certain before, but they're incredibly certain now. As he takes an awkward sip of his tea, it is seen as a crimson blush takes over Deidara's face. Apparently those viewing the video aren't the only ones who catch it either, because Kazumi is the first to comment.

"Deidara…are you...blushing?! What the heck happened between you two?!"

Kisame chuckles at her question. "Now I'm really curious. This story should be interesting."

Blush deepening, Deidara slams his cup down on the table and scowls at them. "I already said that I don't have to tell you anything, so I'm not talking, un!"

Every bit as curious as those sitting around the table, several of the people conglomerated in Tsunade's office are getting ready to voice their thoughts. Or, more realistically, are getting ready to make guesses as to how Deidara and Kaminari met. However, none of them has time to get out a single word. Instead they watch as Kaminari scoots her chair closer to her boyfriend and gives him a lovable side-hug. A moment later she speaks out in a manner that answers everyone's questions.

"It's okay, Dei. Don't be so embarrassed. I'm sure a lot of people have gotten their long, beautiful, hair stuck in the hinges of a shop door before. You are not alone."

Setting their beverages down on the wooden tabletop, the surrounding individuals gape at Deidara in surprise. Then, a few seconds later, laughter comes. Most of it comes from Kisame and Hisa, who are busting out into guffaws. Some of it comes for Kazumi, who is giggling softly. None of it comes from Itachi, though he wears a small smirk. The whole time many of the Leaf ninjas are laughing at Kaminari's comment while feeling just as much amusement as those in the video.

Meanwhile, Kisame speaks out sounding as though Deidara's humiliation truly delights him. "You got your hair stuck in the hinges of a shop door? That's how you met Kaminari?!" Pausing, he adds with a laugh, "Let me guess. She had to come to your rescue, right?"

Slapping a palm to his forehead, Deidara shoots his girlfriend a glare. "Kaminari, you better not say it…"

Unfortunately for her boyfriend, the raven-haired girl answers Kisame's question. "Yep, I sure did! He got his hair stuck in the hinges of the door at the store where he gets his detonating clay. He got stuck on the way inside and didn't have any clay with him, so he couldn't blow up the door to get himself free. Nobody would help him either because of his Akatsuki cloak. So that's when I showed up with my trusty screwdriver!" Pausing, she adds, "Taking apart the door wasn't that hard, to be honest. If Deidara's arms were longer, he could have just pulled the pegs out of the hinges himself."

Scowl never dissipating, he replies to the girl's statement. "Actually, I couldn't, un. If I would have turned around that far, it would have pulled my hair out of my skull."

Grinning widely, Kaminari hugs him tighter. "Which is why I was there! And after saving you from that evil door, I didn't leave your side for the whole rest of the day!"

For some reason, Deidara's scowl lessens and the crimson color of his cheeks disappears. Lifting up one of his arms, he returns the side-hug while stroking her hair in what appears to be a loving manner. A second later his previous scowl turns into a smile.

"No, you didn't. Every time I went to that town after that, you would always hunt me down and follow me around too, un. You were pretty much glued to my side. At first you were more annoying than Tobi, but I have to admit that you grew on me." Pausing, he adds, "For some reason you weren't scared of me even though I was an Akatsuki member either, and you weren't scared of my art, un. Now that I think about it, you're probably the only person around who appreciates my art."

Grin never faltering, Kaminari nods eagerly. "Well, duh. Of course I wasn't scared of you! Your explosions are cool and you have a giant clay bird that can fly! Why else would I follow you around? Not to mention that it's always been fun annoying you."

It is here that a small frown appears. Nonetheless, amusement still shows in his eyes. "I can tell that you think it's fun annoying me. You can't seem to make it a week without doing something to prank me, un." After a moment of hesitation, he continues with his smile returning. "But I still like keeping you around, un. It wouldn't be the same without your pranks or without the little artist running around. I'm glad that I didn't blow you up."

"Aw! I'm glad that you didn't blow me up, too! Even if you threatened to a million times, you never followed through!" Pausing, she adds, "But my dad followed through on kicking me out of the house for spending time with you, though. Which is why I'm here at the hideout."

This time it isn't Deidara that responds, but is instead Hisa. She doesn't laugh or smile in amusement like she'd done previously. Wearing a frown, she relates her own situation to Kaminari's.

"I know the feeling, Kaminari. Believe me. Hidan actually showed up just in time, because the day he showed up was the day mom and dad kicked me out. They figured out who the father of my child was. To say the least, they were definitely **_not_ ** happy about it." After a moment of hesitation, she continues. "I wasn't happy about it either, neither was I happy to go live with a sadistic Jashinist with a scythe, but I suppose that didn't matter to my parents."

Kaminari, who had previously been grinning widely, gives Hisa a small smile of support. "Don't be sad, Hisa. You and Hidan were both drunk when it happened, so getting stuck with Hidan was an accident. Having his kid wasn't actually your goal. Besides, that's why you have us. Remember, Akatsuki women stick together. Even if none of us have our parents, we always have each other."

"It's good that we have each other, too," adds Kazumi from her place between Itachi and Deidara. "I never knew my mother, and my dad left me alone when I was nine years old. Before meeting Itachi, I was all by myself. Having Miki and getting to know you girls has been an added bonus."

It is here that Hisa's frown vanishes slightly, the oldest of the bunch responding to Kazumi's comment. "I guess we've all had our share of hard times. It's no use being depressed about it now, though. It's like you said, Kaminari. We always have each other."

Wearing the same supportive smile, the bubbly girl replies gently. "That's what I've been trying to say this whole time. When real family isn't on your side, that's when you make a new one. Itachi, Deidara, us, and all of our children."

Smiling slightly, Itachi speaks for only the second time since the start of the video. "Very well said, Kaminari. I have to say that I agree with that statement." A pleased expression making its way across his pale features, Itachi faces his wife. "Speaking of family, Kazumi, would you like to tell everyone how we met, or would you like to tell them... _that other_ _thing_?"

Kazumi doesn't have a chance to respond. Before she can utter a word, Hisa arches one of her flawless orange eyebrows in confusion. "Actually, I myself am interested in _'that other thing'_. Itachi, what exactly do you mean by that?"

"It isn't my place to explain," says Itachi simply. "I've already left it up to Kazumi."

Once the words are spoken all eyes turn to Kazumi. Not just the eyes of the people around the table, but those of the Leaf ninjas as well. Scratching his head, Naruto speaks for everyone.

"What the heck is 'that other thing' supposed to mean? Are Itachi and Kazumi keeping some kind of secret?"

"It definitely sounds like it," says Kakashi. "Hopefully she tells us in this video, but if she doesn't, she will most likely tell us in the next one. Besides. I already have an idea of what they're hiding..."

A moment of silence passes, both on the video and in the Hokage's office. When dialogue is heard once more, however, it doesn't come from anyone on the screen. Instead it comes from a wide-eyed Sakura, her large green eyes the size of disks.

"Oh no… Don't tell me… Hopefully this isn't what I think it is!"

Startled by the girl's sudden exclamation, everyone in the room turns to look at her.

"What is it, Sakura?" asks Kiba.

"Is it something about Kazumi?" Naruto adds in bewilderment.

Twiddling her thumbs in concern, Sakura nods. "Yes. I think I know what she wants to tell them."

Another moment of silence passes, this quiet spell being ended by Ino a second later. Her eyes have also widened, making it known that she just had the same thought as Sakura and Kakashi.

Staring at the screen in concern, she replies, "No, no, no, no, no. You'd better be wrong, Sakura! This video had to take place only a couple months before Itachi died! This can't happen to Kazumi and the other Akatsuki women right now!"

"I do not understand what you are talking about," states Lee from the group's opposite end. "What is happening to Kazumi that you think is so bad?"

Nobody has a chance to reply to the green-clad ninja. Before they know it, Kazumi is speaking out sounding like she's about ready to burst with joy. Meanwhile, she has a smile on her face to match.

"I'm sorry, Itachi, but the story is going to have to wait. I just have to tell everyone!"

Everyone in the Akatsuki hideout gazes at Kazumi curiously. All besides Kisame, who gapes at the Uchiha couple in a mixture of shock and disbelief. Apparently he is the only one amongst the group of Akatsuki who is already able to guess what it is the brown-haired woman wants to tell them.

"No!" Switching his gaze to his partner, he says, "Itachi, please don't tell me that this is what I think it is!"

Giving a single nod, Itachi replies with only a few words. "It is." Turning to Kazumi, he says with a small smile, "Feel free to tell them."

Standing up from the table as if to release a bout of pent up energy, she makes her proclamation known very loudly. "Miki, Itachi, and Sasuke aren't going to be the last of the Uchiha clan for too much longer. I'm pregnant for baby number two!"

Those in the video react in a variety of ways, but none of the Hidden Leaf shinobi take notice. Instead, they're far too busy reacting to the news themselves.

"She's pregnant again? Why would they do that?!" exclaims Shikamaru in shock.

"Itachi is dead and she couldn't possibly have given birth yet," says Hinata in a small voice. "Who is going to help her care for her new baby?"

"Sasuke killed Itachi when his wife is pregnant for another kid?! I want to find him and give that guy a piece of my mind!" shouts Naruto angrily.

"Why would Itachi go fight Sasuke? Now he has a widow and two kids without their dad!" yells Kiba.

Everybody on the screen reacts to the pregnancy, and then Kazumi and Itachi tell the story of how they met. How they met has something to do with Kazumi falling out of a tree and breaking Itachi's arm, and her vowing to nurse him back to health, but nobody pays the story any attention. Instead all of the Leaf shinobi continue talking amongst themselves without bothering to pause the video, each of them feeling obvious concern for the young widow who is again with-child.

* * *

Learning that the video with the hideout's adults talking around the table was the last video in the second set caught the Leaf ninjas off guard. They were expecting something confirming, or at least mentioning, the deaths of Deidara and Itachi. After all, that video looked like it was shot pretty recently; five months ago at the most, and one month ago at the least. It is because of this that a video telling about the deaths of the last two Akatsuki daddies was definitely something that everyone was expecting. Of course, as they've all learned, things don't always go the way they expect. As Kazumi's face comes back across the screen so she can give another message to Lady Tsunade, they're learning that this is one of those times when they're going to learn about something that is truly unexpected.

This time when it shows Kazumi, there are several things that are notably different. The first is that, this time, Miki isn't sitting on her lap. Kazumi can be seen sitting on a simple wooden stool all by herself with a plain stone wall behind her, the tiny Uchiha girl nowhere in sight. Also what's different is that right now sadness isn't the only emotion seen in Kazumi's eyes. Another emotion is seen there, and it's one that is much stronger than sorrow. This emotion is anger; which Kazumi puts all of her effort into tethering back.

Looking as though she's doing her best to appear calm, Kazumi takes a deep breath and speaks. "Just so you know, Lady Tsunade, there are only three videos left. They consist of mine and Miki's last day with Itachi, our last day at the hideout after the kids' fathers died, and a video Itachi left behind before he left to fight Sasuke. That's all that's left Lady Tsunade, and what I'm saying right now is all I have left to say. So, since is the last time I'm going to be speaking with you, I think that I should tell you a few things." After a slight moment of hesitation, she adds, "Just so you know, I'm not angry at you, Lady Tsunade. At the elders of the Hidden Leaf Village and at Sasuke, but not at you. I believe that you are the honest and noble woman that will clear my husband's name."

A long moment of silence passes, Kazumi looking like she's trying her best to hold back tears of anger and sadness. The whole time not a single person in the room speaks, all of them staring at Kazumi without the ability to look away. Never have any of them ever seen a woman who looks so undeniably broken. Not a single person in the room doubts that Kazumi's heart is broken from the inside out. The very sight of her is almost enough to make some of those viewing tear up. All besides Naruto and Lee, that is, who already have several lone tears trailing down their cheeks.

It takes what feels like eternity, but at long last Kazumi continues. "Itachi is innocent, Lady Tsunade. He never wanted to annihilate his entire clan the way he did. The rest of the world may think that Itachi was a cold, sadistic, murderer, with no love in his heart, but it isn't true. If you want to know what Itachi truly was, he was a good man, a wonderful father, and the best husband in the world. He had so much love in his heart; for me, for Miki, for Sasuke, for every member of the Uchiha clan that he was forced to slaughter that night, and for _Kazuki_."

Pausing Kazumi stands up from the stool, revealing a bulging stomach that is just round enough to let people know that she is pregnant. They can't tell for sure, but she appears to be between four and five months along. Blinking hard as if the tears are ready to escape, Kazumi rests a hand on her bulging stomach as she speaks once more.

"That last video wasn't a lie. I am pregnant again, this time with Itachi's son. Itachi wanted to name him _Kazuki_ , because it means hope and harmony. Itachi loved our son even though he hasn't been born yet, and during his last video, he made it known that he loved his family down to the very end. Itachi isn't evil. Rather, I would call him a victim of circumstance.

"When he annihilated the Uchiha clan it wasn't for his own twisted pleasure, but was a mission for the Anbu Black-Ops. He had an option to side with his clan or side with the village, and he chose to side with the village. Even during all of the years he spent as an Akatsuki member, he was on the side of the Hidden Leaf Village. He was willing to do anything for the Hidden Leaf Village, Lady Tsunade. Even assassinate his clan and live the rest of his life branded as a murderer and S-Rank criminal.

"I would give you more details, but I feel that it isn't my place. According to Itachi, it is the Village Elders who know all of the real details behind the destruction of the Uchiha clan. If you haven't decided to already, ask them about it. As the Hokage, I would assume that they have no choice other than to tell you the truth."

Giving a deep and sad sounding sigh, Kazumi resumes sitting on the wooden stool. The whole time her hand is still on her stomach. Or in other terms, it is still resting on Kazuki. A few seconds later Kazumi gives her final parting thoughts.

"That's all I have to say, Lady Tsunade. I don't think that we will ever meet, but if we do, I would love to tell you everything in person. Not only that, but I suppose that I should apologize for breaking into your office and scaring the Anbu Black-Ops into thinking I'm some kind of murderer. I never meant to cause a scare. I just wanted to get you this DVD." After a small lapse in dialogue, she continues. For the first time since the start of the video she gives the smallest of smiles that, just this once, looks genuine. "I would say that I vow to never show my face in the Hidden Leaf Village again, but that might not be true. Who knows? If you search the streets hard enough, you might just see a brown-haired pregnant woman and a little girl with black hair looking at the sights.

"Well, this is goodbye for now, Lady Tsunade. Enjoy the last set of videos, because they're all that's left of Itachi. Hopefully my family memories mean as much to you as they do to me."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Well, that's it for now, ladies and gentlemen. Only one more chapter and an epilogue, and this story is complete. To be honest, I might actually do two more chapters and an epilogue instead of just one more chapter, but all of that depends on how much space the last three videos take up. So either the next chapter is going to be very long, or I'm going to split it into two chapters. I know exactly how I want to write it all out. It just depends on the amount of time it takes to write it, as well as the length. Of course, either way, the next chapter is definitely going to be the last set of videos from Kazumi. Thank you all again for reading and for sticking with the story. Even if the story has a bit of a sad tone to it, I hope that you've all been enjoying it and that you've fallen in love with the Akatsuki families as much as I have.**_

 _ **Until the next chapter, my friends! :)**_

 _ **Forever and always,**_

 ** _OCQ_**


	10. Chapter 10: Itachi's Last Goodbye

_**A/N: I can't believe I'm saying this, but other than the epilogue that I still have to write, this is the last chapter of "The Hidden Truth". Can you believe that it's over so quickly? I feel like we just met Kazumi, Miki, and the rest of the Akatsuki families yesterday, and now it's over. I miss them already! :,(.**_

 _ **Also, I hope that everybody will be okay with the way I end the story. Originally I had an entirely different ending in mind, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the original ending simply wouldn't work. With Kakashi and Tsunade as well as the original twelve Genin being the ones watching the videos, I realized that if this were reality, that the story would end very differently. Thus,**_ _ **I decided to change the ending to better fit the story. Maybe you'll like it or maybe you won't, but in the end, I think the new ending I wrote up fits this whole scenario much better than my original idea.**_

 _ **Considering how you probably haven't read the chapter yet, what I'm saying might be a tad confusing, so I will explain things more in depth at the end if you care to know about it. This story has definitely turned out very different from my original vision, but I'm glad that it has nonetheless. Honestly, I'm really quite proud of my first Naruto fanfiction. Hopefully all of you are enjoying it, too. :)**_

 _ **P.S.: Kurama831: Thanks so much for reviewing! I really appreciate it when people review! Also, I'm glad that you're enjoying my story this much. It makes me happy when people enjoy my writing! :)**_

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I only own my OCs._

* * *

 **Chapter Ten: Itachi's Last Goodbye**

More than anything, those congregated around the DVD player want to talk about Kazumi's last words to them. Everything she told them about Itachi keeps nagging at their minds like a bad dream that won't go away. The very thought that Itachi has been on the side of the Hidden Leaf Village this whole time and that everyone in the Great Shinobi Nations has hated him and wanted him dead for years now makes all of them sick to their stomachs. Sure there's always the thought that Kazumi might be lying or that she herself was deceived, but admittedly, nobody thinks that this is very likely; even Neji is beginning to doubt his opinion that Itachi was purely evil. In the end, it is their growing belief that an innocent man was killed in the worst kind of fashion.

"Do you really think that Itachi is innocent like Kazumi says, Granny Tsunade? Do you think that we've hated someone who was actually a good person all this time?"

A long moment passes where nobody in the room responds to Naruto. They stare off into space, deeply immersed in their own thoughts. It takes a few seconds, but at last the fifth Hokage replies to the blonde-haired teen with her brown eyes filled with uncertainty.

"I don't know for sure, Naruto, but it would certainly appear that way. That's why I'm turning to the elders. I want to know the details behind the annihilation of the Uchiha clan. If there really is something that I don't know, then I fully intend on learning about it."

Surprisingly, Naruto doesn't reply verbally. Instead the young jinjurichi gives a hesitant nod, as if in contemplation. A moment passes and he speaks again, a mixture of sureness and sadness in his voice.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm on Kazumi's side. I don't think that Itachi is the insane murderer that everyone thinks he is. Even if he wore that Akatsuki cloak, he was a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village the whole time."

Another lapse in dialogue ensues, but this one is much shorter than the previous. Only a second later, Ino confesses in the same mournful yet determined manner as Naruto.

"I believe it, too," she says. "Itachi wasn't evil, or even bad. Kazumi is telling the truth. She never would have taken the risk of breaking into Lady Tsunade's office otherwise."

"I just wish it didn't have to turn out this way for her," adds Kiba sounding downcast. "She should have left the videos before Itachi died. It would have given him a fighting chance."

Opening his mouth, Naruto is getting ready to share his thoughts once more. Of course, before he can get out a single word, Kakashi speaks out bluntly.

"Don't talk like Kazumi's videos are all in the past. Remember, there are still three more."

Eyes widening in realization, the teens exchange glances before looking back at the screen. As if on cue, the black screen lights up with a video that captures all of their attention. The whole time they're wondering how hard this is going to be to watch. At first the videos were very lighthearted and enjoyable, but as they get closer to the end, the Hidden Leaf ninjas are starting to feel the weight of the despair that the woman recording the videos most likely feels. Knowing that this is the last video of the Uchiha family together before Itachi's death, each of them watches with a type of adept focus that they weren't aware they possessed until now.

The Hokage's office intensely silent, they watch as a setting that they've never seen before comes across the screen. The first thing they see are tall, beautiful, sakura trees, their branches overflowing with emerald green leaves and freshly bloomed pink blossoms. Below the trees are thick green grasses, and above them is a sky that is very pleasantly blue without a cloud to be seen. At first neither Itachi, nor Miki, nor Kazumi is present. Less than a second later, however, the sounds of high-pitched and delighted giggles are heard. This is followed by four-year-old Miki sprinting across the screen, twin ponytails and blue dress bearing the Uchiha symbol swaying as she runs. Running in front of her, most likely in attempt to escape, is an orange ball of fur. As she chases it, she shouts happily.

"You aren't getting away, Snuggles! I need to catch you so you can put on the sweater!"

It is only after the small child speaks that Kazumi is heard. From her spot behind the camera, she laughs in what sounds like amusement. "Miki, you can't put your doll clothes on the kitty. He doesn't need clothes! He has a fur coat."

The child never hesitates in chasing her pet as she replies. "I know he doesn't need clothes, Mama. I want him to wear the sweater 'cause he'll look cute!"

It is here that Miki increases her speed, causing her to close the distance between herself and the fluffy animal. Now being only an inch or two away from him, the little girl jumps forward with her arms stretched outward in an attempt to snatch him up. It's only too sad for the child that they're in a grove filled with trees, because before she can get her tiny hands on him, the cat increases his own speed and dashes up the nearest tree trunk. Once this happens the girl frowns, marches over to the tree, and stomps her foot commandingly.

"Snuggles, it's not nice to run away! You need get down here now and put on your sweater!"

Not only is Kazumi's laughter heard, but now Itachi's soft chuckling can be heard as well. It's only after the Uchiha man makes a sound that the unseen brown-haired woman turns the camera in his direction. When Itachi comes into view he is shown standing with his arms leisurely crossed in front of his midsection, a small smile painting over his pale features, and amusement showing in his onyx eyes. For the first time in what feels like a long while, Itachi isn't wearing his Akatsuki cloak. Instead he is wearing plain black pants, a dark gray shirt with netting underneath, and black shinobi sandals with his lengthy ponytail hanging freely. In the background Miki can be seen jumping up and down in attempt to climb the tree, but everyone's primary focus in on Itachi.

His smile never fading as he watches his daughter, Itachi speaks to Kazumi without looking at her. "Thank you for agreeing to teleport us here, Kazumi. I know that it was a long distance for you to use your jutsu, but it has certainly been worth it to be back here again."

The woman replies with a smile in her voice. "Don't worry about it, Itachi. I've teleported longer distances before. It isn't a big deal." Pausing, she adds, "Besides. I've been wanting to come back here myself. Honestly, I don't know why we haven't. This is where we met, after all."

Once Kazumi's words are out, the world turns silent once more. The Leaf Shinobi note that the silence between the two lovers isn't anything heavy or intense. While the silence does feel a bit off, it is peaceful more than anything. The only thing that breaks the silence is the orange cat jumping down from the tree and scampering through the grass with Miki following along in a quick pursuit.

"Ha! I've got you now, Snuggles!"

The small child laughs as she runs outside of the camera's frame. It takes several moments, but at last the woman addresses her husband once more. Again, the sound of a smile can be heard.

"On that day five years ago, I bet neither of us realized that we would one day be married with a beautiful little girl and with baby number two on the way. It's amazing how much things change." With a giggle, she adds, "And to think, all I had to do was fall out of a tree and break your arm."

Closing his onyx eyes, Itachi takes a deep calming breath of nostalgia. "Yes, and all I had to do was show up on that particular day off with a book intending to read. With all the other times I'd been here prior to meeting you, I never imagined how different that day would turn out for me." Giving a soft chuckle, he continues. "You know, Kazumi, before we crossed paths, nobody has ever been bold enough to call me _'ponytail guy'._ "

Sounding happy, she responds easily. "Hey, I was stuck, you were the only one around to help me, and I didn't know your name. What was I supposed to call you?! And besides, until I fell from the middle branch and crushed you, your step-by-step instructions for climbing down were very helpful."

"Considering how you fell from the tree at all, I suppose that they weren't _too_ helpful." Pausing, he adds, "Your teleportation jutsu is what was truly helpful. I never would have imagined that you would have been able to get me to a hospital that was so far away so quickly."

An odd type of smug amusement in her tone, Kazumi replies, "And I never would have imagined that the great and powerful Itachi Uchiha could be so easily defeated by a falling tree girl. Then again, I never thought that you would be nice enough to let me follow you around either. After two endless months of trying to make me leave you alone, I never expected you to give in to me so easily."

Nobody in the room expects it, but all of the sudden Itachi turns away from his place watching his daughter. His smile is still in place, but beyond this, his deep onyx eyes are filled with sadness. Not only are his next words a bit confusing to the Leaf ninjas, but they also strike them as surprising.

"Every man has weaknesses, Kazumi, and you have always been it for me. I did my best to talk you into leaving me be whenever I came inside of your village, and I even tried to force myself to stop coming here altogether, but in the end I could do neither." It is here that Itachi's smile fades completely and shifts into a frown of guilt. "The reasons I allowed you to stay with me stemmed from nothing but selfishness and denial. Hopefully a day will come when you can forgive me for that."

A long moment of silence passes between the two of them, the only noise being Miki shouting for Snuggles to stop kicking so she can get his paw through the sleeve. It takes a long few seconds, but at last Kazumi speaks. The only thing heard in her voice now is concern.

"Itachi, are you okay? You've been acting weird all day. This morning you got up early to make everybody pancakes, this afternoon at the doctor's office you looked like you were about ready to cry during my ultrasound, and then you tell me out of nowhere that you want to come back to my old village to visit. Until now I've done my best to ignore it, but I have to say that you're acting very unlike yourself." Pausing, she asks, "Is Deidara's death getting to you? I've noticed that your personality has changed since then. I mean, so has Kaminari's, but yours has changed in a different way."

Giving a deep, sad-sounding, sigh, the man replies to his wife. "If my personality has changed, it is only because I'm finally realizing that I've been wrong this whole time. I thought that I could stay with the Akatsuki, stay with you and our children, and that my past mistakes wouldn't come back to haunt me. I thought that with you, I could finally be free. It's only now that I'm realizing that I was wrong. I can't hide from the past, and I can't go back on the promise I made to myself. I'm only sorry that my denial and my petty selfishness are going to lead to the suffering of the people that I love most."

Kazumi no longer sounds concerned, but instead she sounds frightened; maybe even terrified. "Itachi, what are you talking about? What are you saying?"

Shutting his onyx eyes tightly, it is seen as Itachi does his best not to cry. Based on Kazumi's previous observation, this isn't the first time it happened that day, either. As the black-haired man holds back tears, he replies with only two simple sentences.

"I'm sorry that I can't hold back the rain anymore, Kazumi. I've held it back for as long as I can."

Everyone knows that Kazumi would like to say something more. Knowing her, she would never let this type of conversation come to an end so soon. However, neither she nor Itachi has a chance to say anything more on the subject. Less than a second later, Miki comes running into the frame of the camera with a pink sweater in hand and with a wide smile painting over her face. It couldn't be more apparent the childlike innocence of the tiny Uchiha girl.

"Daddy, Snuggles went up the tree again and he won't come down. Can you help me get him?"

Upon hearing the words of his daughter, Itachi's frown fades and turns into a smile. As happy as he tries to make it, sadness can still be seen underneath. Of course, Miki doesn't notice this. All of her focus is on getting a hold of the cat so she can shove it into the thick pink garment.

At last, Itachi replies. "Of course, little Uchiha. I can help you get the cat."

Jumping up and down, Miki cheers happily. "Yay!" Wrapping her tiny hand around Itachi's much larger finger, she tugs him in the necessary direction. "Let's go this way, daddy. Snuggles climbed the really tall tree over here."

Once this happens Kazumi releases a sigh of audible sadness, the screen going black only a moment afterward. Less than two seconds is what it takes for the next video to start. When it starts, it is very bluntly apparent that the end has come. Every individual detail about the video oozes with sorrow. A single instant of gazing at the screen is all it takes for the room to be filled with a sense of despair.

The women aren't seen, but due to the soft thudding of their footsteps it is very apparent that they're near. For the first few minutes of the video none of them speaks. They simply walk from room to room in silence, one of them recording every inch of the Akatsuki hideout with careful precision. Due to the fact that nobody speaks and that nobody is in front of the camera, none of the Leaf ninjas know this for sure, but it's pretty much a given fact that Kazumi is the person recording.

Save for the lovely scenery painted on the walls, the empty bed frames, and the occasional dresser, the rooms being recorded are entirely empty. All of the toys and belongings that once filled the rooms are completely gone, as are the fun, drama, and laughter of the people that once filled them. True there are some of those people left, but due to the few people who are missing, these rooms no longer contain the joy that they once did. This doesn't just apply to the northeast branch hideout that is nearly void of its previous inhabitants, but once the dialogue starts, those viewing learn that this applies to the Akatsuki women as well.

The first one to speak, as well as the first person to step into view of the camera, is the redheaded Hisa. She is back-dropped by colorful animals in cages along with a pretty blue sky that are painted on what used to be drab walls, telling them they're standing in Imae's empty zoo-themed bedroom. Sharp silver eyes appearing similar to a raging gray storm, she speaks sounding every bit as in anguish as those more recently widowed than herself.

"I just took a peek into the living room, and the kids are still asleep. We should get breakfast ready so they have something to eat before we head out. We have to wake them soon if we're going to get out of here before any of the remaining Akatsuki members show up."

A moment of silence passes, Kazumi replying to the eldest of the group a few seconds later. "I know, Hisa, and don't worry. I'll get started on some eggs and pancakes in a couple of minutes. I just wanted to walk around the hideout one more time." Giving a long sigh, followed by what sounds like a sob, she adds, "I spent six years of my life here with Itachi, you know. I don't want to leave without at least doing a goodbye recording. This way maybe Miki won't forget her daddy. I hope she doesn't forget her daddy... I would say the same for Kazuki, but...h-he'll never get to m-meet him!"

Once her words are out the Leaf ninjas learn for sure that the previous noise was indeed a sob, because now Kazumi is openly crying. A second is all it takes for the camera to fall to the ground. Apparently it tumbles over more than once, because it is seen as the scenery spins at an awkward three-hundred and sixty degree angle multiple times. By the time the camera is finally still again the three women are seen kneeling on the ground, Kaminari and Hisa engulfing Kazumi in tight hugs as they share in her tears. The women are seen at an upside down angle, but the viewing Leaf shinobi honestly don't care about this. All of their attention is focused on Kaminari's words as she does her best to console her friend. Or, more specifically, grieve over her own unfortunate situation.

"It's okay to cry, Kazumi. I just lost Deidara a couple months ago, and I've been crying too. Isi probably isn't going to remember his dad, but does it matter? Dei is the jerk that bombed himself to death and left his kid and his girlfriend!" After an intense moment of crying, the raven-haired girl continues. "My daddy was right about Deidara from the beginning. He told me that a man who won't marry me is a man who plans on leaving. Men who don't get married don't usually stick around. When he told me that I thought he was just being mean to Dei, but do you know what? My daddy was right about him! I never should have moved into the hideout with him! My daddy loved me, we had a nice house, and I had lots of friends and a job at a candy shop. My life was great! Why would I leave all of that behind for an S-rank criminal?!"

Another moment without dialogue passes, the group of women never breaking their hug and never ceasing in their sobbing. As they watch the scene, the surrounding Leaf ninjas can't help but feel incredible pain for the women who have found themselves in such an unbelievable situation. When Kaminari resumes speaking, their pain for them only increases.

"By the way, I took Isi and went to talk to my daddy a few days ago. After Hisa failed at getting help from her parents, I hoped that maybe he'd help us. You know...single mothers with nowhere to go and all? He's always been really quick to help people, so I thought that maybe he'd do the same for us."

Hisa, who wipes tears from her bloodshot silver eyes, replies to Kaminari's statement. "Well, is he going to lend us a hand, or no?"

Burying her watery emerald orbs into Hisa's shoulder, her tears come harder. "No! He wouldn't even let me in off the porch! He opened the window and told me to take my _'monster spawn'_ and leave the village forever. He said if I ever show up there again, that he's contacting the Hidden Stone Village and having their Anbu Black-ops take me and Isi away!" After a moment of heartbroken sobbing, the raven-haired girl continues. "What are we going to do now? Your parents aren't going to help us, Hisa, and I'm pretty sure your village isn't an option, Kazumi. So where do we go from here?"

Even from the upside down angle, it is seen as Kazumi frees an arm to rub circles into her swollen stomach as she replies to the girl; tears stream down her face as well. "I don't know, Kaminari. I really don't know. The only thing any of us knows for sure is that we have to get out of the hideout before any Akatsuki show up. Now that all of our men are dead, there's no reason for us to stay involved with them. They're dangerous, and we can't raise our kids here."

"Kazumi's right, Kaminari," says Hisa as she hugs them both tighter. "Where we go doesn't matter. Without our men on our side, it isn't safe for us to be here anymore. That's why we need to grab the sealing scrolls we put all of our stuff in, feed our kids and get them cleaned up, and then we need to hit the road. Deidara and Itachi are never coming back, and neither is Hidan (praise Jashin), so there's no point in us staying here."

Sniffling slightly, Kaminari gives a nod. "I know, Hisa. I'm just as much for leaving as the rest of you. It's just...I'm still getting used to Dei and Itachi being gone. It doesn't seem real."

Hisa never loosens her hug on the others as she speaks to them again. "I'm very sorry, but it is real. And you know what? Our children are real, too. And right now they need us more than ever; especially the child that hasn't been born yet." Pausing, she adds, "Remember, Akatsuki women stick together. Since our men are gone, it's time to put those words into action."

This time it is Kazumi who nods. "You're right, Hisa. Even if Itachi is dead, I still have to keep moving. Itachi wouldn't want me to cry. He would want me to stand up with the two of you and take care of our children. In fact, he's probably expecting me to. And if the situation was reversed, I know that he would do the exact same thing."

Wiping away one of her tears, Kaminari gives a small smile. "Of course he would, Kazumi. Even if I wasn't married to him, I could still tell that Itachi was the best husband ever. He would want you to be strong." Pausing, she adds, "And remember, those aren't just Itachi's kids we're protecting. Besides Itachi's little brother, Miki and Kazuki are the last of the Uchiha clan!"

All of the sudden Kazumi's tear-stained eyes widen, as if she's just coming to terms Kaminari's statement for the first time. "That's right," Kazumi says in an awed whisper. "I don't know why, but I almost never think of my kids as part of the Uchiha clan. I always think of them as my bubbly little girl who loves cats, and the son Itachi named himself. But the fact that they actually are the last of the Uchiha clan…it does add a new light to things."

It is apparent to the Leaf Shinobi that Hisa is taken off-guard by her words, because she gives a small frown of curiosity. "What do you mean by that?"

Rubbing the saltwater out of her eyes, Kazumi frees herself from their hug and stands up. She still doesn't look happy; far from it, really. In fact, she looks absolutely grieved. Yet, she still manages to appear a bit stronger than before.

At long last she answers Hisa's question. "Nothing much. Just that, since my kids are so rare, I should make sure that I stay strong so I can protect them." Pausing, she adds, "Your kids are rare too. You have the son of a great artist, and the daughter of an immortal. All of our children are special. So I want to help protect your children too."

"Thank you, Kazumi. Hearing you say that means everything," says Hisa.

"We might not have a thing left in the world or anywhere to go, but at least we have each other. If we didn't have each other, then our situation would really be desperate."

Those words of Kaminari's are the last thing the viewing shinobi hear before the screen cuts to black, leaving only one more video for them to watch. With only one video left to go, they stare at the screen in a dense mixture of uncertainty and reluctance. They already know what this video is, because Kazumi herself already told them. It's the last video Itachi left behind before he left to go fight Sasuke. Having no idea what was said in the video or why Kazumi would put something so personal in here, they all eye the screen hesitantly during the long three seconds in between videos. Once the video starts they know that they're destined to watch it, because it is something far too staggering to look away from.

The first thing they see when the screen lights up is Itachi. From the start of the videos to the videos' end, all of them must have seen Itachi at least a few dozen times. Throughout the times they've seen him, they've witnessed a variety of different personality traits within the man that none of them ever would have known about otherwise. They've seen him calm and collected, playful, happy, laughing, fatherly, irritated, curious, incredibly loving, and in some cases he's been stern. The viewing Leaf shinobi have seen all of these things inside of Itachi and more. However, none of them have ever seen the Uchiha man in that state he's in with this specific video.

When they see Itachi he isn't calm, collected, or anything of the sort. Instead he looks in a disheveled state like they've never seen him before. Where he's at in the hideout nobody knows, but his wrinkled Akatsuki cloak is tossed over the back of a wooden chair that is only partially within the shot. His long black ponytail has a few strands coming loose from the tie holding it back, not to mention that it is also a bit ruffled. His dark purple nail polish, which was always perfectly intact before this, now has noticeable chips in it as if he hasn't bothered with repainting his fingers for a while now. Not only that, but for once his isn't wearing the necklace with the three silver rings containing the rubies. Instead he holds the necklace in his free hand. What's most noticeable about him, however, are his eyes.

His deep onyx eyes are surrounded by red puffiness, standing in steep contrast to his notably pale skin. Not only that, but his eyes are also a tad bit bloodshot. The redness isn't so bad that he appears to have pink eye, but it is just noticeable enough so that a person can tell that he has spent some time crying before turning on the camera. If someone wasn't paying close enough attention, Itachi's bloodshot eyes could easily be missed. Of course, they aren't missed by a single one of the shinobi surrounding Tsunade's desk. Each and every one of them notices Itachi's eyes, because not only are they puffy and slightly bloodshot, but they're also filled with complete and utter agony.

Using his hand that is holding the necklace, Itachi shakes the weathered piece of jewelry down so that it rests on his wrist. The moment his fingers are free, Itachi buries them in his raven locks in what appears to be a mixture between torment and sorrow. Sliding down the rock wall that he was previously leaning against, the Uchiha works his way down into a sitting position while being careful not to drop the camera. It's only once he's sitting against the stone wall with his fingers buried in his hair that Itachi speaks at last. When he speaks, it becomes apparent that the only thing that could ever reveal more inner turmoil than his appearance would be the sound of his voice.

Looking deep into the lens of the camera with obsidian-colored eyes, Itachi begins pouring his heart out to his wife through the video. "Kazumi, more than anything I wanted to speak to you in person before leaving this morning. If I could, I would look you in the eye and tell you all of this while sitting directly in front of you. It's only too sad that I couldn't bring myself to do that. Had I woken you, I would have lost control of my emotions in front of you instead of in solitude, and then I never would have been able to tell you everything that I want to say."

Pausing, he gives an emotion-filled sigh before continuing.

"There's so much I want to do before I end this video and leave you, Kazumi. I wish I could watch you chase Miki around the hideout and hear your voice one last time. I wish I could listen to Miki giggle one last time, and I wish I could get the chance to see what Kazuki looks like. I want to help you through the entire birthing process, see Kazuki walk and talk, and see Miki grow to love her baby brother. I want to do each and every one of these things, Kazumi, so know that leaving you is the most difficult thing I've ever done. If I could, I would stay with you and our family and be happy forever. My family makes me happy."

Again Itachi falters in his speech, his entire demeanor being overcome by emotion. He does his best to hold it all in, but it is seen as tears start to overflow. He doesn't hide them or try to wipe them away. Instead he lets them flow, doing his best to talk through them.

"I love you, Kazumi. I never knew how much a man could love a woman until I loved you. After agreeing to destroy my clan I didn't think that my heart was capable of feeling love anymore, and then I met you. You changed my life for the better, and now I'm changing your life for the worse. Not just your life, but the lives of our children. I am so sorry for doing this to my family, Kazumi. You, Miki, and Kazuki never have to forgive me for leaving. I am a man who has made far too many mistakes, and my selfishness and denial has been one of them.

"Around the time we met, I thought more about how having you would affect me than about the affect it would have on you and our children. It is only because of my selfishness that you, Miki, and Kazuki have to pay the price. I never should have allowed anything between us to go this far. You have made me the happiest man alive, Kazumi, and I'm sorry that I have to make you suffer this way."

Pausing once more, Itachi gives a small smile despite his sorrow as he continues.

"Yet, as sorry as I am about the suffering you'll have to go through, I am still very glad that I married you. You are what made me happy again. When I say that you have made me the happiest man alive, I mean it completely. Never has a person made me smile and laugh as much as you. Before meeting you I'd never been involved in a food fight, or been happy about getting drenched by rain, or chased someone purely for enjoyment instead of for the sole purpose of catching them. I'd never been kissed before you kissed me, never seen a pregnancy test before I saw yours, never had to go into _'Babies 'R Us'_ and get stared at like a crazy person before your pregnancy with Miki, and I never had to learn how to make train noises until feeding our daughter. Also until meeting you, I never knew that I was ticklish or that I was talented at painting parakeets onto nursery walls. Before meeting you, Kazumi, I never knew that I could be so happy.

"I would like it if our happiness would last longer, but there are some things that just can't be changed. This is my last confession to you, Kazumi, so know that I mean every word of what I say. Once I'm gone, I know that our children are in good hands. There isn't a doubt in my mind that you will remain alongside Hisa and Kaminari for quite some time. You alone would be able to give our children all of the love and attention they could ever need, so there is no doubt that our children will receive extra love with them so close-by. As for Imae and Isi, I'm sure that you will love them just as much as our own.

"Also, once Miki and Kazuki get older and start to wonder about me, you know what to do. After all, I'm sure you haven't been filming our entire lives all of these years for nothing. When it comes down to the story of the Uchiha clan assassination, tell them about it whenever you're ready. Or if you decide that it's better to keep the truth a secret, then that is also fair. I trust you completely, Kazumi. Just please don't go share the truth with absolutely _everyone._ A stunt like that could throw the Hidden Leaf Village into an outrage; maybe even the entire Land of Fire."

It is here that the man pauses once more. His features are still filled with absolute despair, but he also appears to be contemplating something. Most likely, he's contemplating the very last thing he wants to say before shutting off the video camera. It takes several long moments, but at last he speaks.

"This is all I have to say, Kazumi. I hope that one day you can find it in your heart to forgive me, but I don't expect you to. If you and our children never forgive me, I understand completely. Of course, even with as much as you might despise me, know that I love you. I love you and our family with all of my heart, Kazumi. And no matter what happens, I will always love you."

* * *

For the first time today, the Hokage's office isn't silent. Not by a mile. Besides Kakashi, Tsunade, and Neji, there isn't a dry eye in the room. Everyone held out for as long as they could during the final three videos, but in the end, Itachi's final goodbye to Kazumi managed to bring forth a river of tears. Not a single Hidden Leaf Shinobi has moved out from behind Lady Tsunade's desk. They all remain in the same places that they have throughout the duration of the videos, all of them doing their best to get a hold of themselves before speaking. For some, this happens more quickly than for others.

Kakashi, who appears very saddened by the fate of the people in the videos but who hasn't shed a single tear, is the first person to speak. Being the copy ninja, he doesn't beat around the bush neither does he sugarcoat the facts. Rather, he is blunt and to the point.

"We need to destroy it, Lady Tsunade. If there's one thing that Itachi was right about at the end of the video, it's that we can't go around telling everyone the information we've learned. If something like this leaks out, it could force the village into panic or outrage." After a moment of slight hesitation, he continues. "We need to seal the content on that DVD so nobody else can view it, and then we need to take measures to dispose of it properly. We can't risk the wrong person getting a hold of it."

Narrowing her brown eyes thoughtfully, Tsunade gives a firm nod. "You're right, Kakashi. We need to seal it and destroy it immediately. The sooner the better."

All it takes are the words from Kakashi and Tsunade to force the tears of the adolescents to a halt. Unsure of how to react to the news of their plans, they stare at the two adults in surprise before vocalizing their thoughts. The first to speak is, of course, Naruto.

Wiping tears away from his sapphire eyes using his sleeve, he says, "You aren't actually going to get rid of Kazumi's home videos, are you, Granny Tsunade? She spent years filming them, and risked her neck by breaking into your office and leaving them for you. We can't just... betray her like that!"

"Who would you rather betray, Naruto? Kazumi or Itachi?" Sakura asks as she inches closer to him. "Sure by destroying the DVD we're betraying Kazumi, but by keeping it and potentially allowing it to leak out we're betraying Itachi. Remember, Itachi doesn't want anyone knowing the truth about him. His loyalty to the Hidden Leaf village, his family, whatever happened with the destruction of the Uchiha clan that we don't know about, Itachi didn't want us to know any of it. And really, I wish that I didn't know any of it. That way he could actually have his dying wish."

Naruto doesn't respond to Sakura. He simply furrows his brow in consideration, as if he'd never even considered that keeping the video would be betraying Itachi until now. Meanwhile, as Naruto mulls over this new thought, it is Shikamaru who voices his opinion next.

"Personally, I'm all for destroying the home videos. They wouldn't just cause the Leaf Village to panic if they leaked out, but if Sasuke catches wind that he's an uncle and that he widowed his sister-in-law, I'm pretty sure it could cause him to turn even more unstable. The last thing we need is a rogue Sasuke who's crazier than he is now."

From a few spaces away, Lee chimes in concurrence. "I must agree with you, Shikamaru. The last thing I would want to happen would be for the village to fall into a state of alarm, and for Sasuke to be put under psychological distress. Not to mention that I also do not want to go against Itachi's dying wishes. I say that we seal the DVD and then destroy it."

After Lee speaks, the rest of the people in the room begin agreeing to destroy the DVD in what can only be explained as a domino effect. First come Neji and Tenten who say that being rid of the home videos would be the safest course of action for the village. Then there's Ino, who says that even though she wishes that they could do more for the Akatsuki women and their children, she still believes that destroying the DVD would serve the most purpose.

"I know she said that she wants everyone to know the truth right now, but she might regret it later," states the flaxen-haired kunoichi. "Keeping it a secret might be for Kazumi's own good."

Choji doesn't say much. He simply digs into one of the remaining bags of chips and says, "If it's for the good of the village, destroy it."

Hinata, Kiba, and Shino don't have much to say on the subject either. Knowing that there isn't much to add and that all of their bases have been covered, the trio simply nods in concurrence while giving short, simple, responses.

"I wouldn't want to see anything bad happen to the village, and I wouldn't want to see Kazumi regret giving us her home videos," says Hinata. "Please get rid of it."

"If Itachi didn't want to go around telling everybody his secrets, then I don't see why we should advertise it. I say we go with Kakashi Sensei's idea and use the sealing jutsu," states Kiba.

Out of everyone in the room, Shino says the least. "Destroy it."

Once everyone in the room is in agreement, all eyes shoot to the single person who hasn't yet said anything. Right now, all of their eyes are still on him. The one they're looking at would be the blonde-haired jinjurichi who sits leaned against the wall with his knees pulled to his chest and his blue eyes still a bit watery from earlier. Feeling their gazes burning into his skin, Naruto shuts his eyes against the tears as he speaks to them.

"Okay, fine. If it means protecting the village, Sasuke, and Itachi's wife and kids, then we can destroy it. Just promise me that we won't forget that Kazumi and the other Akatsuki women are out there somewhere. With all of the pain and the loss they've gone through, they deserve to be remembered long after the proof that they exist is gone. Don't let the risks Kazumi has taken be for nothing." Pausing slightly, he adds, "And after we leave this room, we need to promise that we'll keep our eyes opened for them. Remember, Kazumi said that she might come back."

It is only after Naruto finishes that the room finally falls silent. Not because they're shocked or appalled by Naruto's words, but because they're quietly considering them. As they fall silent, the only sound that's heard is the fifth Hokage standing up from her spot and moving toward the portable DVD player. A second later Kakashi stands up as well and follows Lady Tsunade to the large empty space that has been cleared in the center of her desk.

Nobody looks at them as they remove the disk from the device; neither do they look at them as they set it down on the wooden surface and as Tsunade begins performing hand signs. Less than ten seconds is what it takes for loud shattering to sound off, letting them know that the metallic disk was broken into pieces after the sealing. Now if anybody decides to get curious enough to put it back together with ninjutsu, they won't be able to watch it either way due to the seal.

After it's broken and all of the pieces are disposed of, it is Sakura who replies to her friend gently yet with honesty.

"Don't worry, Naruto. We're never going to forget about the home videos, or about Kazumi and her children. We won't forget about the rest of the Akatsuki families, either. Honestly, I couldn't forget about them even if I wanted to."

"I'm sure that she'll come back to the Leaf Village at some point just like she said she would," adds Kakashi from the other side of the room. "And when she does, we'll be here waiting for her."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Well, besides the upcoming epilogue, this is it for "The Hidden Truth". Again, my original plan for the ending was very different. When I first wrote this chapter, I was going to have Tsunade make two more copies of the DVD and give one to Kakashi and the other to Naruto. I also had this idea where Sasuke was going to find out about Kazumi, Miki, and the baby, and I was going to do something very big and dramatic. But then I got to thinking about it and it occurred to me: "Hold on a second... These home videos contain vital information that could have a HUGE impact on the Hidden Leaf Village... Tsunade and Kakashi would never take the risk of letting a DVD like that live!" Not only that, but it was also stated once or twice that Itachi didn't want this information about him getting out. Would they actually be willing to betray Itachi's legacy and risk making the village (and potentially Sasuke) angry?**_

 _ **So, after considering all of this, I decided to have them collaboratively make the choice to destroy the DVD. Considering the characters who watched the home videos as well as the context of the situation, having them do away with it seemed to make the most sense. Hopefully all of you are happy with my decision regarding the ending. Personally, I have to say that I like it better that they destroyed the DVD. It seems far more like the realistic choice.**_

 _ **Also, as a side note, what did you think of the ending? Of the story as a whole? Are any of you curious about the epilogue? If you wouldn't mind sharing your thoughts by reviewing, I would greatly appreciate it! I would love hearing what you think of "The Hidden Truth", especially now that the only part left for me to write is the epilogue. I would really like to know if my first Naruto story turned out well, or if it could use some work.**_

 _ **Thank you all for reading, and thanks for the follows and favorites! Until the epilogue!**_

 _ **Forever and always,**_

 _ **OCQ**_


	11. Epilogue

**_A/N: Well, my friends, welcome to the epilogue. This is all that's left of this story, so I hope you enjoy it. I would write more, but this story was specifically meant to be about Itachi and Kazumi and the final few years before his death, so I feel like writing any more to this story wouldn't really do it justice. Not only that, but if I keep writing more to this story I feel like I would be doing it blindly with no idea where to go. After all, I mentioned in the beginning chapters that this story was meant to be a short one._**

 ** _Nonetheless, even if this story was meant to be short and really wasn't supposed to stray too far from Kazumi and her kids, I thought I would do a bit of a flash-forward scene for the epilogue. I thought that writing about the kids being older, not to mention telling you guys a bit about what happened in the years following the Akatsuki daddies' deaths, would be fun, and it certainly was! Not to mention that I did want to include at least one scene with Sasuke (even if I honestly don't like him that much), so I decided to do that too._**

 ** _Anyway, hopefully you guys enjoy the_**

 ** _P.S.:_** ** _Team Wingless_** ** _\- Thanks for your review. I know my writing isn't perfect. Thus, why I'm always working so hard to improve it. Thank you for the advice. I will try to watch the length of my paragraphs more._**

 ** _Alyondria_** ** _\- Thank you! I'm glad that you enjoyed my story so much, and I really liked getting your review! By the way, I hope your three-year-old starts feeling better. :)_**

 ** _TheHollowWorld_** ** _\- Thanks for your review! It feels good to know that you are keeping up with my fanfiction! I'm glad that you like my ideas and that I did portray Hidan well. Admittedly, trying to portray him as a father was a bit of a challenge, so it makes me happy to hear that he was in character. I will continue keeping up with your story as well! :)_**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or anything besides a used car and a few pairs of earrings for that matter. I only own my OCs._

* * *

 **Epilogue**

Weeks passed. Months passed. At some point several years had gone by, and finally, a decade. Still, even with the amount of time that passed, Kazumi was never seen inside of Konoha again. Nobody doubts that the elusive brown-haired woman showed up once or twice, maybe even as many as three times. Of course, even if they knew for sure that this was true, not a soul who watched the videos was able to spot her. Nobody ever would have guessed this based on the videos alone, but due to how easily she was able to avoid being seen, she has definitely picked up on the art of stealth over the years.

Nonetheless, no matter how many years have gone by, Kakashi, Tsunade, Shizune, and the original twelve Genin still watch for Kazumi. Even if they can't see her, they know that she occasionally shows up. They can feel it. Not only that, but a couple of times there have been reports from the anbu black ops of a mysterious cloaked woman poking around the remains of the Uchiha district.

Nonetheless, she always disappears before anyone has a chance to apprehend her. Let alone before they can talk to her, or get a good look at the woman's physical features…

Another thing those who viewed the videos always used to think about, and still think about from time to time, is about Sasuke. He learned the truth about Itachi's loyalties to the village from Obito while he was posing as Madara, he lent much needed aid to the United Shinobi Forces during the Fourth Great Shinobi War, and was even pardoned of his crimes after Kakashi became the sixth Hokage. Yet, even after all of this, he is still completely unaware of Itachi's wife and children.

There have been many times when Naruto, Sakura, Lee, and even Kakashi almost slipped up and told him everything. Of course, knowing the disastrous effects this could have on Sasuke's mental health, they always managed to remedy the situation before any unwanted information was revealed. If Sasuke found out about his sister-in-law or about his niece and nephew, everyone involved is well aware it could result in disaster. Honestly, sometimes they're even afraid that Sasuke might accidentally stumble across them during his travels. With as often as he's wandering the world outside of Konoha, this is certainly a possibility…

Luckily, even with as valid as these concerns are, nobody ever worries about them too much. Eleven years have gone by since they watched Kazumi's videos and learned about the Akatsuki families. If no information has come out in over a decade, then what are the odds of Sasuke finding out now?

* * *

"This is stupid. I should be at the training grounds with Osamu Sensei and the rest of my squad. We're supposed to be getting ready for the Chunin exams. And instead, where am I? I'm stuck en route to the Land of Earth so we can go rescue Imae."

The time of day is mid-afternoon, the sun shining brightly through the forest's leafy canopy. Jumping from branch to branch on their way to the Land of Earth from their own country of residence are two young shinobi, each of them bearing forehead protectors from the Hidden Grass Village. The oldest of the two is a girl, appearing around the age of fifteen. Hopping from branch to branch beside her is a young boy, who looks to be about eleven years old.

The girl has long raven-colored tresses that reach down to her lower back, a slim oval-shaped face, a small nose, and large onyx eyes. Compared to other girls her age, she doesn't have much of a figure. Her chest is small and her hips are only beginning to curve outward, as if her body is preparing to blossom but hasn't quite yet. Nonetheless, with her sparkling eyes, dazzling smile, and soft milk-colored skin, the fifteen-year-old is already a dazzling beauty.

As for the boy, he has pin-straight coffee brown hair that is tied into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. Like the girl he has wide onyx eyes, a small nose, and a slim face. Besides their hair, the only difference between the two of them are that his jawline is shaped differently so that he appears more masculine. Nonetheless, with as young as he is, the child still appears more baby-faced than anything. Not to mention that he only comes up to his sister's shoulders, letting the world know that he is desperately in need of a growth spurt.

Despite their gender and age differences, the two are dressed very similarly in black shinobi-brand sandals, black shorts, and blue short-sleeved shirts that bare circular red and white symbols on the back of them. With her current ninja ranking the girl should be wearing the Hidden Grass Village's Chunin vest, but she chooses not to so that the clan symbol on the back of her shirt is visible. She also chooses to wear her black shorts tighter to try and accentuate her newly forming hips, but with as scrawny as she still is, this doesn't work too well.

Meanwhile, growing weary of her brother's complaints, the girl replies to him with an aggravated sigh. "Put a lid on it, Kazuki. You've been grumbling for the past two hours, and it's getting annoying. The point is that Imae needs backup, and we're going to help her whether you like it or not."

Turning to look at his sister, Kazuki narrows his obsidian-colored eyes into a glare. "I don't see why you're always so quick to help her. She's always going around advertising that she's _'the best the Shinobi World_ _has to offer'_ , and she gets herself into these messes. Why she decided to become a solo assassin after ranking Jonin, I have no clue. Imae's too arrogant for her own good." Pausing, he adds irritably, "Assassinating Jashinists for hire. What a stupid idea!"

Slapping a palm to her forehead, she returns Kazuki's glare. "It is absolutely not a stupid idea! First of all, Imae goes out by herself all the time and almost _never_ needs help. Remember when she took out that squad of Hidden Mist shinobi by herself? She is the most talented kunoichi either of us has ever seen! Second, she doesn't know for certain yet that she needs our help. There are three Jashinists on their way to the temple to gain immortality instead of two like she thought, so we're tagging along behind her just in case. For all we know, she might kill them herself before we can even get to her."

That last sentence causes the boy's eyes to widen momentarily prior to shouting at his sister in frustration. "Wait. You're saying that Imae might not actually need us? Are you kidding me, Miki?! I'm wasting two days of training for this!" Pausing, he adds with a groan, "If those guys don't kill her with their crappy scythes, I'll kill her myself once we find her!"

Kazuki's shouting doesn't end here. He continues ranting for twenty more minutes, complaining about what a jerk Imae is, about how his squad needs him, about how he's never going to rank Chunin at this rate, and about how his failure to reach Chunin level will shame the Uchiha clan. After a certain point Miki starts blocking him out, losing track of what he's saying completely. Even so, the noise from his ceaseless raving is plenty enough to annoy her.

Giving an irritated grunt, she grumbles to herself, "I wish that Isi wasn't away on a mission right now. I would rather be stuck with him than you any day."

Kazuki, who was in the process of saying something along the lines of how Aunt Hisa needs to teach her kid some manners, halts in his speech completely upon hearing his sister's words. In the space of an instant his irate scowl vanishes entirely, slowly being replaced by a smirk of amusement. Miki doesn't notice this right away, more or less due to the fact that she's enjoying the silence. When she catches her brother's smile, however, she frowns.

" _ **What?**_ " she asks a bit harshly.

Shrugging, Kazuki's smirk only grows. "Don't worry about it, Miki. It's nothing." After a momentary pause, he adds with a snicker, "So… _Isi_ , huh."

Crossing her arms, Miki looks away from her brother in discomfort. Her cheeks growing red, she grumbles, "Be quiet, Kazuki."

Releasing another snicker, he continues. "I heard mom tell Aunt Kaminari the other day that you've been putting on lipstick lately, and that you've been wearing ribbons in your hair. Not to mention, the new form-fitting shorts." Pausing, he raises a brow teasingly. "You love him."

Face growing more crimson by the second, Miki jumps to defend herself. "I do not! He always makes fun of me! _'I'm not as figurely as Imae is',_ he says, _'and I can't use ninjutsu half as well as she can'_. He also told me that he doesn't like my hair." Pouting, she adds, "The only reason I'd rather have him here is because he wouldn't be complaining the whole time."

Wriggling his brow suggestively, Kazuki prods, "Is that really true, or would you rather have him here so you two can go kiss somewhere?" Now openly laughing, he continues, "Isi likes you too. He only makes fun of you because he likes seeing you get angry. I bet you're going to get married and have ten kids. Aunt Kaminari is already planning the wedding!"

Her cheeks nearly the color of an Uchiha's sharingan, Miki snaps, "Be quiet, Kazuki! It isn't like that! I already told you that I don't like Isi!"

"I know you don't like him," he replies with a laugh. "You _love_ him!"

Releasing a growl of frustration, it is Miki's turn to start ranting. "Grow up, Kazuki! We're on our way to go help Imae with something very dangerous! Now isn't the time to be acting like a child!"

Shrugging nonchalantly, Kazuki continues laughing. "Yeah, that's true, but still. I'm bored, I can't train for the Chunin exams right now, and there's nothing else to do. So…" One moment of hesitation later, the boy sporting the brown ponytail begins singing. "Miki and Isi sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Kazuki, shut up! You're training to be a chunin, so start acting like one!"

"First comes love, then comes marriage, -"

"Gah! Shut up!"

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

If there is one thing that Sasuke loves about the forest, it's how peaceful it usually is. In the forest, the sounds of battle are almost never heard. There aren't the sounds of people talking, children screaming, dogs barking, or any of the sounds that come with civilization. The forest is simply…quiet. Not only that, but it isn't hot like the Land of Wind, rainy like it is in the Hidden Rain Village, or humid like it is in the Hidden Hot Water Village. Out of all the types of places he's been to, Sasuke has to say that forests are his favorite landscape.

It's only too sad for the twenty-six-year-old that he won't get to stay in the forested environment for long. He's only passing through the area near the Hidden Grass Village temporarily. He was in the Land of Earth, but after talking with several important dignitaries there, Sasuke came to the decision to visit the Hidden Rain Village. The last time stepped foot near that village was well over five years ago, so he figures he should probably pop in again. After all, a lot can change in five years.

Breathing in the fresh noontime air, Sasuke leaps from branch to branch in silence. He just crossed the border from the Land of Earth into the Hidden Grass Village's nation less than twenty minutes ago. At the rate he's moving, he should be out of this country and in the Hidden Rain Village's nation by late tomorrow night or early the following morning. The thought of spending all of that time in the forest in solitude pleases Sasuke greatly. It almost feels like nothing can ruin his good mood.

Of course, no more than two minutes later, this changes vastly.

"Don't deny it, Miki! I bet you and Isi sneak off together and make out all the time!"

"I already told you to be quiet, Kazuki! Whether or not we kiss is none of your business!"

"Ha! You two do have something! I knew it!" A laugh comes, and then, "Should I tell Aunt Kaminari to start designing your wedding dress?"

Sasuke has no idea where the two voices come from or who they belong to. All he knows is that they're incredibly loud, and that they're disturbing his peace. Giving a grunt of irritation, he stops moving and lands on a branch. His goal isn't only to find the voices' sources, but is also to tell them to quiet down as soon as they pass him by. Part of the reason he travels through the forest is to _avoid_ the annoying sounds of civilization!

It takes a few minutes, but at last the voices grow nearer and two figures start to come into view. They're too far away to make out clearly, but from this distance he can still tell that one is tall and female, and that the other is short and male. Not to mention that they're young, both of them most likely below the age of seventeen. Expression of irritation growing, Sasuke moves a few branches closer to them as they move nearer.

"I don't need a wedding dress from her! I'm not marrying her son!" says the dark-haired female figure sounding aggravated.

The shorter male figure scoffs at his companion. "Sure, try telling her that. It's been a couple years since mom and Osamu Sensei got married, so Aunt Kaminari is going to start itching to plan another wedding. Not only that, but she really wants you and Isi together."

The young female gives a sigh. "Kazuki, I really wish you would quit talking about this. Our focus is supposed to be on catching up with Imae, so we should move faster. I don't want her to get arrogant and make any bold moves before we get there. It's her against _three_ Jashinists you know!"

The two keep moving for a second after this, but a moment later the girl abruptly pauses in her movements. Her entire persona overflowing with a mixture of surprise and apprehension, the girl adds something to her previous statement in a low tone. Her voice is low enough so that Sasuke can't make out her words, but he can tell that she sounds concerned. Once she finishes telling her companion whatever it is she needed to tell him, the boy responds sounding equally troubled. The only difference between the two of them is that Sasuke can comprehend what he's saying.

"Don't underestimate me, Miki. I sense him too. Let's hurry and catch up with Imae. If we're lucky, maybe this guy's not a threat."

Upon hearing the kid's words, Sasuke's onyx eyes widen in surprise. These two children were able to figure out that he's near from so far away this easily? They must not be as naïve as he thought.

 _"Hn. They must shinobi from the Hidden Grass Village,"_ Sasuke says to himself internally.

Understanding very well that his presence is known to this young duo, Sasuke gives a shrug before leaping out onto a set of tree branches approximately five feet in front of them. If there's one thing that kid was right about, it's that he really isn't a threat to them. Not because he isn't incredibly powerful, but because Sasuke truly doesn't want to harm them. He just wants them to be quiet so that they're no longer adding unwanted noise to what was supposed to be his peaceful journey.

Of course, even after revealing himself, Sasuke doesn't look at them directly. He doesn't note their fighting stances, the kunai knives that each of them holds in their hands, or the determination in their obsidian-colored gazes. The only thing he does is speak.

"Relax. Don't get your blood-pressure up. I don't want to fight you or anything like that. I just wanted to tell you to quiet down your arguing. You're making so much noise that I can barely hear myself think! Not to mention that it's unbecoming of a shinobi."

Only once he's through speaking does Sasuke dare to look at the two. When he first looks at them, he isn't expecting much. All he expects to see are a couple of little kids holding kunai knives who refer to themselves as "ninjas" when they haven't seen even half of the death and destruction that a real shinobi has seen. However, when his gaze meets their faces, he finds himself incredibly surprised.

In a way, they appear exactly how he was expecting them to. Yet, they look nothing at all like he thought they would at the same time. As he keeps his gaze glued to their faces, he stumbles slightly backward on the large tree branch out of shock. Are they young shinobi who haven't seen life the way he's seen it? Absolutely. But at the same time, they remind him of a phantom from the past that they most likely know nothing about. As he gapes at them wide-eyed, he almost starts to feel dizzy.

He would never admit this aloud; not even if he was completely by himself with nobody else around to hear the confession. Even as he's saying it to himself internally it sounds completely crazy, but it's true nonetheless. Somehow, both of these kids look like the spitting images of his older brother who died over a decade ago! Blinking hard and raising a hand to his head, he does his best to tell himself that it isn't true. Of course, as he observes them further, the fact starts to become an undeniable one. These kids really do look _exactly like_ Itachi.

The girl, who is a medium-height teenager with a bit of a tomboyish figure, has practically _every single one_ of his features. The shape of her mouth; her nose; the color, shape and size of her eyes; the color and thickness of her hair; even her facial expression. All of it reminds him of Itachi! The only difference is that a lot of her features, such as her height, the shape of her chin and jawline, and her scant curves, are built to appear feminine.

Then there's the boy. After seeing the girl, he didn't think it was possible, be he looks even more like Itachi than his companion. The only thing separating him from the deceased Uchiha are the fact that his hair is brown rather than black, that he lacks any form of stress lines under the eyes, and that he is a bit more baby-faced than his brother was at that age.

Not only that, but as Sasuke's gaze dips slightly lower, he notices something else that connects the male child with Itachi. Around the young shinobi's neck is a very familiar necklace. It is a silver chain with three silver rings attached. Inside of the silver rings are rubies. Gaping at the necklace in disbelief, Sasuke does a double-take and then a triple-take before he finally loses his balance and has to catch himself on the trunk of the tree.

There is no doubt in his mind that that is Itachi's necklace; the exact same necklace that he always used to wear. His brother was inseparable from that necklace. How the heck did this little punk get his hands on it?!

Sasuke doesn't notice, but the pair gapes at him in obvious concern. They still hold their fighting stances and their kunai are still drawn, though their facial expressions are much less fierce than they were previously. Exchanging befuddled side glances, the two hold their kunai knives higher as they jump several branches closer to the unknown man. They definitely want to help him if something is the matter, but they want to be prepared just in case it's a trap all the same.

Meanwhile, as they inch closer, the boy addresses the older sister. By now, based on their previous bickering and similar features, Sasuke has put it together that they must be siblings.

"Miki, you didn't use your sharingan on him, did you? I didn't think that you took it out yet."

"That's because I didn't," she replies sounding confused. Then she asks, "What about you? Did you use yours?"

Her brother shakes his head. "No. To be honest, I can't use mine that well yet. Why do you think I've been training so hard?"

Upon hearing their exchange, Sasuke regains his balance and stands straight up. An intense mixture of shock, anger and confusion taking over, he glares at the two with deep onyx eyes. This alone causes the siblings to back up abruptly by several branches and regain the fierceness in their gazes. When Sasuke speaks to them in a harsh, almost threatening, tone, the oldest of the siblings reveals something that the man didn't think anyone possessed besides him. Staring at him wearing a fighting expression, the girl breaks out a set of red and black sharingan eyes.

"W-who are you two?!" he shouts. "Where are you from?! How do you possess the sharingan, and where did he get that necklace?!"

Returning his glare with equal intensity, the boy speaks while pointing his free index finger at the shinobi headband that is tied around his forehead. "We're ninjas from the Hidden Grass Village on our way to go help a comrade, and that's all we're going to tell you! We have no idea who the heck you are, so you have no right to ask us those sorts of questions!"

Angry that such a small child is using such a harsh tone with him, as well as still feeling in need of answers, Sasuke opens his mouth to speak to the young duo of Hidden Grass shinobi once more. Sadly, before he can get out a single word, another voice sounds off from the branches above them. It's an echoing voice that comes from what sounds like a male adolescent, and it is filled with bewilderment.

"What the heck are you two doing all the way back here? Aunt Kazumi told me that you guys left ages ago! By the sound of it, you should be in the Land of Earth already!"

A moment later the owner of the voice leaps down from the higher branches so that he's on the same level as them. Several leafs following him down as he lands in a space between the preteen boy and adolescent girl. He eyes each of them curiously before shifting his gaze to Sasuke. Sasuke feels as the boy scans him over with mild interest. The whole time, the Uchiha man observes him just the same.

The boy that appeared practically out of nowhere is an adolescent just like he suspected. He's probably around the same age as the girl. Like his two companions, he wears a headband from the Hidden Grass Village and black shinobi-brand sandals. From here, however, the similarities end. Instead of shorts he wears black pants with a weapons holster tied to the left side, a dark gray shirt with netting underneath, and instead of onyx, his eyes are a vivid shade of blue. His hair isn't long like his friends' hair, either. Instead his raven-colored tresses are thick and shaggy. Aside from that he is tall and has a strong-looking build, which is probably part of the reason why the girl appears so happy to see him.

The whole time the boy's intent blue gaze never leaves Sasuke. Still staring him down with unbreakable curiosity, he makes an inquiry to his friends without looking at them.

"Okay, this is probably beside the point, but who the heck is this guy?"

"I have no idea," replies the ponytail kid. "Miki and I were on our way to go help Imae, and he kind of appeared out of nowhere and started acting all crazy. Personally, I think the guy's two acorns away from the nuthouse."

It is only after the youngest of the group speaks that the older boy stops looking at Sasuke and shifts his gaze to the kid. Smirking, he makes a remark.

"You know, I'm surprised that Aunt Kazumi sent you along, Short Stuff. Whenever Imae needs help and I'm not around, usually Curveless gets sent alone." Turning so that he's facing the girl, he asks smirking, "Or did you just bring your baby brother because the trip would get lonely without me?"

Her previous expression of happiness vanishing, the girl crosses her arms and scowls at him. "What are you doing here, Isi? I thought you were out on a mission."

"I was, but I got back early," he explains with a shrug. "When I got back, mom and Aunt Kazumi explained that Imae got in over her head again, and that you two got sent as back up. Short Stuff over here doesn't seem very capable yet, so I thought that I would rush over and take his place."

Upon saying the phrase _"Short Stuff"_ the one called Isi rubs the younger boy on top of the head in a brotherly fashion. Meanwhile the girl, Sasuke thinks that her name is Miki, rolls her eyes at Isi in an aggravated fashion.

"Okay. So you're here to save the day. That's fantastic." Her sharingan still visible, she motions in Sasuke's direction with her elbow. "But I still think we should do something about him. I don't trust him, and quite frankly, he's freaking me out."

Arching a skeptical brow, Isi gives a scoffing laugh. "Miki, Imae is on the loose with her weapons and all of her jutsu, and she is focused on assassinating three targets at once. Do you honestly think we're going to have time to fight this guy before she makes a bold move?"

Furrowing her brow in aggravation, she spats back defiantly. "Who knows? We might!"

Then, as if the universe is against her, a loud crash comes from off in the distance. Following the crash is a large, mushroom-shaped, cloud of dust. Based on Sasuke's geographical knowledge, it comes from the direction of the Land of Earth's boarder. Every single one of them, Sasuke included, stares in the dust cloud's direction wide-eyed. All besides Isi who stares while wearing a smug smile.

"See, Curveless? What did I tell you?"

"Don't jump to conclusions, Isi. We don't know for sure that that was Imae."

Less than a second after she says that, ferocious, thundering, shouting is heard. The voice that's shouting is female. "Die, you _**{bleep}**_ Jashinists! You'll never walk this _**{bleep}**_ planet again!"

Isi's smirk only grows. "Do you stand corrected yet, Curveless?"

Miki sighs in aggravation. "Fine, I stand corrected. We'd better go help her before she almost gets herself killed. _Again_." Pausing, she adds with a nod toward Sasuke, "But what do we do with him?"

Glancing at Sasuke and then back at Miki, Isi shrugs simply. "Nothing. If he wanted to hurt us, he would have tried it by now. I say we forget he exists and go help the overconfident idiot." Sighing, he adds in what sounds like exasperation, "If there's one thing I can say for her, she definitely has more hips than brains sometimes."

After a moment of silence, it is Miki who speaks. Turning toward her little brother, she says, "Why don't you head home, Kazuki? Isi and I can handle this."

Crossing his arms over his chest, it is the younger brother's turn to roll his eyes. "Right. Of course you want me to head home. That way once you're through helping Imae and you go your separate ways, you and Isi can make out on the way back to the village."

Sharingan eyes turning back to onyx purely out of embarrassment, Miki shouts at him as her face reddens. "You know that Isi and I aren't doing anything, Kazuki, so put a lid on it and go home!" Cheeks as red as a sun-ripened tomato, Miki turns around and begins hoping from branch to branch in the direction of the dust cloud. "Come on, Isi. Let's go help Imae before she kills herself."

Looking amused and excessively pleased for some reason, Isi follows along with a shrug. "Okay. Whatever you say, Curveless."

With that being said, the three young shinobi take off from the area. The young boy called Kazuki heads in opposite direction of the dust cloud, most likely intending to return to the Hidden Grass Village. Meanwhile Miki and Isi head directly in the direction of the battle zone, appearing prepared to help their friend at any cost.

For a reason unknown to everybody, even to him, Sasuke doesn't follow either of them. Neither does he start moving back in the direction of the Hidden Rain Village. Instead he sits down on the branch and leans against the tree's trunk, going over everything that happened inside of his head repeatedly. Who those kids are and what exactly happened here today he isn't entirely sure, nor is he certain that he wants to figure out. Maybe some mysteries are better left unsolved. And if he ever decides that he wants to solve it, he knows exactly where the Hidden Grass Village is located.

Taking a deep breath, he first stares after Kazuki and then he glances over at that Miki girl and that boy who he assumes is her love interest. For some strange reason, the sight of the two is almost enough to make him smirk. When Isi speaks to Miki once more, to his surprise, he actually does smirk.

"So, what was that thing your brother said about wanting to make out with me?"

"Uh… It's nothing, Isi. Kazuki was just being stupid."

"Are you sure?" he asks teasingly. "Because if you really want to make out on our way back to the village, we can. I have no complaints."

"B-be quiet, I-Isi! I'm not interested in anything like that!"

The boy called Isi gives a chuckle. "Right. And you're _**not**_ wearing those tight shorts because you want me to stop calling you Curveless."

"Gah! Shut up!"

 **~End~**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Okay, guys. I apologize, but that was it. I really hope you enjoyed that little flash-forward into the future, because it was a hoot to write! Originally I wasn't even going to have Isi make an appearance, or have Imae say anything for that matter, but I'm so glad that I did! I just love their older versions! Especially Kazuki, because before the epilogue he was still a fetus. To be honest, part of the reason I did the epilogue this way is just so everyone could see how Kazuki turned out XD._**

 ** _Anyway, that's that. Hopefully all of you enjoyed reading "The Hidden Truth" as much as I enjoyed writing it. If any of you are interested, this is definitely not my last Naruto fanfiction, either. Because I have a lot of reader insert requests stacking up on Deviantart and because I still have to finish posting this story on Deviantart and on Quotev it might take a while, but I am going to start writing another OC story titled "Fracturing Glass". It's going to be different from "The Hidden Truth" in every way, but still a Naruto story nonetheless. If you ever want to check it out or see I've gotten around to posting it, feel free to check my profile every now and again._**

 ** _Well, that's it for this story, folks. Thank you all for reading. It has been a pleasure._**

 ** _Forever and always,_**

 ** _OCQ_**


	12. How Many Colors (Preview)

**Hello, everyone! :)**

 **Originally, I planned on putting my OCs, (Kazumi, Kaminari, and Hisa), into retirement. I've gotten to thinking about it recently, however, and decided to go back to them.**

 **In "The Hidden Truth", I said that these Akatsuki families exist. In the process, I even broached how all of them met. Of course, after thinking about it, I realized why broach how they met when I can show all of you! Will I ever do a sequel to "The Hidden Truth"? Perhaps eventually. Right now, though, I have decided to do a small set of companion stories to show how all of our couples came together. The first companion story I've written is titled "How Many Colors".**

 **I have a brief description of it below as well as a preview.**

 **The full first chapter is on my profile if you want to read the whole thing! :)**

* * *

Story Summary: **"How Many Colors"**

Tucked away in the Land of Rivers is a tiny, isolated, village known as Chouwa. Every person born in Chouwa dies there, the outside world nothing but a distant fantasy. There is one girl, however, who yearns for more. When Kaminari is forced to choose between befriending an intriguing criminal and being shunned by her home, will she leave or will she conform?

* * *

 _Satellite, shine on me tonight._

 _I will be your gravity. I will stay and never leave._

 _My satellite, are you here tonight?_

 _Shine your light, and set me free. Take the darkness out of me._

 _Shine on me._

 _~Satellite by Starset_

* * *

Deep in an emerald forest that lies halfway between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind is a narrow trail. The forest is a thick one, and the path is becoming overgrown by foliage, so it can be concluded that this specific location sees few travelers. The last time a person made their way down this deserted trail couldn't have been less than a week ago. Yet, it couldn't have been longer than a month ago, either. The trail certainly sports its share of sprouting grasses, although it serves its purpose.

Making their way through the isolated forest are two men. The man closets to the path's right is of average height and lean, while the one on the left is short and bulky. If someone else happened to be making their way down the trail, it would be clear to that person that the two men are traveling together. Each of them wears identical black cloaks printed with red clouds, as well as the same concealing straw hat with dangling tassels. Chiming can be heard mingling amongst a gentle breeze, most likely due to small bells that are attached to several of the tassels. The chiming is far from loud. It is faint, mysterious, and lingering, similar to the men themselves.

Besides the soft ringing and the gentle breeze, the surrounding foliage is consumed by silence. Even the chattering of rodents and the chirping of birds has vanished, leaving nothing but the duo's dominating presence. They have been traveling for five straight days and suffered a heated battle toward the conclusion of the fourth. There is no doubt that each of them must be tired and that their chakra is running low. Yet the sight of them remains irrevocably sinister. Their unyielding stances induce fear, and their cloaks with the red clouds serve as an ominous reminder of precisely the horrors that the two men are capable of.

Were others around, they would keep their silence in order to maintain the persona that has been attained. However, due to the lack of human life, they allow themselves to bring down their guard. The person who does this first is the shortest of the two, and he does it with a deep, gravelly, voice. Vexation is heard the entire time he speaks, as if he is working desperately to kill a bug, but it continues living despite efforts to destroy it.

"I still can't believe that Lord Pein wanted _you_ to join the Akatsuki. A brat like you doesn't belong here. The mission that we just finished only proves my point. I could have taken out our target by myself without help from anyone."

Beneath the brim of his tasseled hat, the man is revealed to have tan, rough, skin. His eyes are slanted, and the bottom portion of his face is concealed by a piece of loose, black, cloth. The majority of passersby they've come across find his appearance strange, wondering if he is truly a flesh and blood person. Little did any of them know that this is only an outer shell that contains an entire other entity.

Once he is through speaking, the taller man gives a response. However, underneath his hat, it is seen that the word _"man"_ does not accurately describe him. His face is smooth, entirely youthful, and has an almost innocent appearance to it, making _"boy"_ a more suitable term. If someone took time to examine him closely, they would most likely conclude that he is around fourteen years of age. Nonetheless, in spite of his youth, it isn't difficult to tell that the boy is a threat. His narrow blue eyes have a lethal glint to them; one that contains arrogance as well as a hint of insanity.

Raising an index finger bearing black nail polish to his face, he shoves aside a strand of blonde hair while responding to his companion. The boy wears a smug smile.

"I noticed that you've been awfully moody ever since we finished our mission, Sasori my man. At first I thought it was because of chakra exhaustion, but now I know the real reason. You're jealous because I was able to assassinate our target on my own, and it was only my second mission, un." Smirk broadening, he adds, "For my third week in the Akatsuki, I'm not doing too bad."

Once this is said, the isolated trail falls into a state of heavy reticence. Several minutes pass, the gentle breeze and the light jingling of bells the only sounds that waft through the forest. Along with this comes the occasional chirping of a bird. Besides this, not a sound is heard.

It takes what feels like eternity, but at last dialogue fills the air. What's said on Sasori's part is not complex. Nevertheless, the man manages to make his mark.

"Out of all the ninja I've met, none have been as reckless as you. You're going to bomb yourself into an early grave, Deidara."

The young man hesitates momentarily, taking in the remark. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't take long for him to refute this assumption with a shrug of nonchalance.

"Art is a sublime experience that is supposed to last for only a second, un. Living a short and reckless life is far better than an eternal and prudent one. Honestly, I prefer living this way. You never know how a few seconds can change a masterpiece, un. It makes life like a work of art."

Every other time when the two have spoken, this is normally where Sasori would counter Deidara's ideologies. Knowing how many previous conversations have turned out, he should be starting on a tangent about how true art is eternal. Having a masterpiece last forever and be infinitely unchanging are exactly the topics the man should be preparing to broach. However, for the first time since they've met, this discussion doesn't happen. Instead there is a change in the structure of the narrow trail, capturing the attention of both artists.

To most, the transformation of the dirt pathway wouldn't mean much, but for Deidara and Sasori this change is crucial. The trail, which has been long and straight for seemingly endless kilometers, has split into a fork. This is exactly the split that they have been waiting for. Or at least this is true as far as Deidara is concerned. His blue irises fill with a type of exceedingly rare enthusiasm.

Without another word to Sasori, he adjusts his straw hat bearing the hanging tassels and saunters toward the right side of the fork. Sasori, who was slowly inching toward the left path, hesitates to give Deidara a bemused stare. Upon seeing the direction that the blonde is heading, he never wavers in making an inquiry.

"Where are you going? The northeast branch hideout is this way."

Deidara doesn't turn to face him. He gives his partner an explanation as he continues toward the desired pathway.

"I know, and that's why I'm going this way. The northeast branch hideout is where Itachi lives, and I really don't feel like being near him, un. I'm going to restock on detonating clay at this town not too far from here, and then I'm heading southwest to the main hideout. I'll meet you there in a day or two, un."

* * *

Most often, in terms of towns, there are only two types. There are large, bustling, towns filled with lively civilians, a variety of shops, and picturesque scenery. Then there are tiny, hinterland, towns that have only the necessary shops, minimal scenery, and everyday people who are simply trying to survive. Very rarely are there towns that meet both standards. Yet, in some locations, these towns do exist. In the Land of Rivers, closer to the Land of Fire's border than the Land of Wind, is a village that goes by the name _Chouwa_.

Chouwa, while it is a very small settlement with its share of mundane people, manages to be upbeat and lively. The buildings are plain and wooden, but are also kept looking new, and have a unique sparkle to them. With bright flowers planted around every dwelling place, crystal clear waters flowing only a short distance away, and a thicket of lush green trees surrounding the village from all sides, this only adds to Chouwa's exceptional charm. What makes this village all the more attractive to outsiders, however, is the fact that it is home to several rare items that can scarcely be found elsewhere.

One product that is exclusive to Chouwa are special types of candies that can only be created using spices from the forest that directly surrounds the village. Another would be oddly shaped, yet beautiful, glass rocks that are found by the riverbed. Also found by the riverbed, another one of Chouwa's unique assets, is a special type of clay that can be easily infused with chakra. When combined with a person's chakra, the jutsu caster can enable the clay to do impossible things. Glow, move at will, transform into breathing animals, explode; with the clay found by the riverbed inside Chouwa, possibilities for what a jutsu user can do with it are endless.

It is for these reasons that, despite being a backwoods town located in a hard to reach area in the Land of Rivers, the village of Chouwa sees a decent number of visitors. Some civilians despise these visitors, wishing that they would go away so that they can keep to themselves. Others don't have much of an opinion at all about travelers. They come, enjoy the sights, spend money, and leave. Their lives move on with or without tourists.

Then, finally, there are a select few individuals who _live_ for outsiders.

These people would be the ones who have been born, raised, and trapped in this village, and who will most likely never leave. They will get married, raise their children in Chouwa, watch their grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow up in Chouwa, and then die and be buried in Chouwa. They are fully aware of this inevitable fact, whether they accept it or not. Thus, these are the people who work at the shops that sell the specialty candy, the glass rocks, and the clay. Working at these shops enables them to meet the travelers who pass through the village, giving them the taste of the outside world that they crave.

In Chouwa is one girl who fits into the latter category better than anyone. To the dismay of the villagers, but not so much to her own disappointment, she does a very poor job of hiding her infatuation. This girl is bubbly, is employed at Chouwa's candy store to match her enthusiasm, and has grass-colored eyes that never cease to be filled with wonder. At fourteen years old she might seem a bit young to have a job, but nonetheless, she performs her tasks well. This young girl's name is Kaminari.

Dressed in a simple, tan, kimono-style dress with a dark green obi adorning the middle, she dashes around the shop. The cuffs of her forest green pants narrowly miss brushing the floor. Tied over her clothing is a crisp, white, apron, which Kaminari wears proudly as she sweeps the shop's splintering floorboards. The whole time she works the girl scarcely pauses, the only exception being when she hesitates to tuck one of her medium-length, raven, tresses back into her high ponytail. Currently, she works near the candy store's front set of windows, peeking across the street, sweeping, and talking to her coworker behind the counter simultaneously.

"Isn't it great, Fuji?! I've never seen this many travelers come through Chouwa in one afternoon! Today I sold a box of hard candy to a man all the way from the Land of Snow! Ooh, and I also met a woman from Kirigakure! Today has been the best day _ever_ ,and it's not even noon!"

Kaminari turns her tall frame at an angle so that she can see her much shorter coworker with the chocolate brown eyes. Fuji is six years older, although it doesn't feel like it most of the time. Especially not when the woman smiles the way she does now.

"You know, I think the day is going just as well for Aimi across the street and for old man Nao's rock shop a few doors down. Every time a tourist comes in here, you tell them to check out the shops that sell the clay and the rocks. Business has to be booming for them both right now!"

The green-eyed girl shrugs while giving a beaming grin. "Well, yeah! I don't want to hoard all the tourists for myself! These guys are all from super far away! They deserve to meet these people!"

Kaminari doesn't see it, but the instant she looks away to return her full attention to sweeping, Fuji's smile fades in displeasure.

"You're definitely obsessed, Kaminari. You should meet a boy. Go on a walk with him, start courting. Focus on something else for a change. Chouwa is a wonderful village and a good place to spend your life. It isn't healthy for you to be so fixated on the outside world."

Her beaming smile never dimming, Kaminari replies in joyful nonchalance. "Everybody has an obsession, Fuji, and interesting people are mine. There are so many people and so many places to discover! Why would I ever want to start dating a boring Chouwa boy and stop meeting travelers?"

Fuji exhales nervously. "But you're so open and so willing to talk to these people! Aren't you afraid that one day you're going to approach the wrong person?"

Tucking another raven lock back into her ponytail, Kaminari takes a moment to stare across the street at the shop that sells their village's clay. The entire time she processes her friend's question, fully intending to answer. However, the answer she was preparing doesn't come. Instead, she finds herself gazing at yet another interesting traveler who walks down the middle of the earthen street. A mysterious man who wears a black cloak spotted by red clouds and a straw hat that shadows his face. She can that tell he is a man in spite of his concealed features, as he saunters in a fashion that is precisely masculine. He moves slowly yet commandingly, as if fully aware that his presence is something formidable.

Due to his odd taste in dress, the fact that he is concealing his features, and his overall lethal countenance, Kaminari knows that she should be quivering fearfully. However, she doesn't. Instead she gapes at him as if trapped in a hypnotic state, a brand of curiosity overtaking her that she hasn't quite felt before. Truth be told, he looks dangerous; like a _criminal_.

Though she is much farther away from the window than Kaminari, it is apparent that Fuji sees him too, as she unleashes a deafening gasp. There is no denying that the woman is frightened, because it takes less than two seconds for her to rush over to the younger girl and grab her tan-colored sleeve. Once her grip is secure, Fuji drags Kaminari from her place in front of the window to an area safely behind the shop's counter. From here, they are both forced into a crouching position. Only after they're out of the sight of the windows does Fuji speak. The woman sounds terrified.

"No. No, no, no, no, no, no! This isn't happening! Why would one of them come _here_? To _our_ village?!"

Raising a brow, Kaminari can't help but stare at her oddly. "Fuji? What's wrong? I've never seen you act this jumpy! Normally you're so calm!"

Placing a hand over her mouth, Fuji replies in only the quietest of whispers. Even so, the girl is able to make out what the woman says.

"Kaminari, listen to me, and listen closely. There are some travelers that you _**don't**_ want to interact with, and this guy is one of them. You see the cloak that he's wearing? Anyone who wears a cloak like his is part of the Akatsuki. The Akatsuki is an organization of S-rank criminals who will destroy anyone or anything that gets in their way. They murder people, Kaminari, and they _enjoy it_. If you go near him, you're signing your own death certificate." Giving a sigh of mingled fear and desperation, she continues, "Before we come out from behind this counter to continue our work day, you aren't allowed to talk to him, look at him, or even _**think**_ about him. Do you understand?"

Breaking free from Fuji's grasp, Kaminari gets on her knees to peer over the counter. The man continues sauntering down the street, his black cloak with the red clouds blowing slightly in the breeze as well as the tassels on his straw hat. With the information that has been attained, he appears far deadlier than previous.

Turning by mere centimeters so that he faces their shop at a different angle, the girl catches sight of the minimal blonde strands that break free from his cloak. They, too, are ruffled by the gentle breeze. She gets a small glimpse beneath the rim of his hat, noticing a slim nose and the shadow of a smirk. Similar to the rest of his appearance, the smirk is one that appears dangerous and mysterious. Yet, it also contains a hint of smugness, which Kaminari finds oddly _alluring_.

It takes several seconds, but at last the girl responds to her coworker. Though she speaks these words with her mouth, Kaminari doesn't feel that she truly means them. For some reason, as strange as it is, it almost feels like she's betraying herself.

"I understand, Fuji. I won't go near him."

* * *

 **The entire first chapter of "How Many Colors" is on my profile if you're interested!**

 **(To answer your questions, yes. I will write companion stories for Hisa and Kazumi, too. I simply decided to do Deidara X Kaminari first because I felt like they deserved a more detailed back story. I didn't dig into them too deep in "The Hidden Truth".)**

 **Thank you all, and I hope you give my companion stories a read! :)**


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